Print this page Stormwater Ponds – A Citizen’s Guide to Their Purpose and Management
H. Wayne Harper, P.E.
Course Outline
This four hour course provides an overview of stormwater treatment ponds, their place in the watershed, pollutant removal chemistry, and pond maintenance procedures. Complied as a collaborative effort by eleven federal, state, and local agencies and/or environmental groups, this course provides a combination of introductory topical information and also easy to understand information of selected pond design features. After completing this course, the student will have a greater understanding of the various types, functions, benefits, and limitations of man-made stormwater treatment ponds.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Learn what a watershed is and how they function;
- Be familiar with the most common types of stormwater treatment ponds;
- Understand the functional distinction between natural ponds and man-made stormwater treatment ponds;
- Be aware of the logistical rights and responsibilities associated with stormwater treatment ponds;
- Understand stormwater runoff management and measures that can be taken to increase water quality
- Realize sediment management concerns and the constraints related to removal and disposal;
- Be familiar with the chemical concerns of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides;
- Understand how heavy metals and hydrocarbons behave in the general environment and stormwater treatment ponds;
- Be knowledgeable of comprehensive stormwater treatment ponds maintenance guidelines;
- Learn how community efforts can help care and maintain stormwater treatment ponds;
- Understand the distinctions between the various types of aquatic vegetations and their impacts on stormwater treatment ponds;
- Learn about stormwater treatment ponds features that benefit fish and wildlife; and
- Realize measures that can be taken to conserve and protect water.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for civil and environmental engineers.
Benefit for Attendee
Attendee of this course will understand how stormwater treatment ponds are designed, landowner rights, their functions and limitations, as well as, their benefit for downstream environmental resources. This knowledge could prove invaluable for engineers, planners, land developers, and average citizens concerned about the environment.
Course Introduction
Stormwater treatment ponds are a valuable link in man’s efforts to mitigate the adverse impacts of development and protect the environment. This course provides an overview of treatment ponds features, their place in the watershed, pollutant removal chemistry, and pond maintenance procedures. Through a combination of introductory topical information and easy to understand information of selected pond design features, the presented material is applicable to stormwater management almost anywhere. This knowledge could prove invaluable for engineers, planners, land developers, and average citizens concerned about the environment.
Course Content
The course content is contained in the following PDF file:
Stormwater Ponds – A Citizen’s Guide to Their Purpose and Management
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
Man made development has an adverse affect on the environment through many ways, including decreasing the water quality of stormwater runoff. To mitigate these affects, environmental agencies require the design, installation, and maintenance of stormwater treatment ponds. This course has provided a detailed overview of treatment ponds, their place in the watershed, pollutant removal chemistry, aquatic biota, and pond maintenance procedures. This information is valuable for Engineers, planners, land developers, and average citizens; and should increase awareness of the types, functions, benefits, and limitations of stormwater treatment ponds.
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:
Southwest Florida Water Management District via http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/
Florida Department of Environmental Protection via Welcome | Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
