Adopt Your Pond
How to Form Your Own "Adopt-A-Pond" For Your Neighborhood Pond
This information is intended to help residents manage their privately owned stormwater ponds. Common problems include algae blooms, fish kills, and non-native or invasive vegetation. Clogged storm drains, pet waste, litter, and leaking oil from vehicles are issues that concern everyone in the neighborhood. Often these problems are made worse by a lack of native buffer zones and aquatic vegetation. |
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To adopt a pond, form a group of people who live in the pond’s drainage area. Include everyone who has an interest, not just people who live on the pond. List the problems: write things down. Start a mailing or email list. A history of drainage activities will be valuable for future pond improvements and maintenance.
Gather information about your pond and its watershed. This can include: names and contact information for your pond group; an aerial photograph of your neighborhood; site or drainage plans; locations of pond outfalls, drainage pipes, drop boxes and other structures; maintenance records for herbicide treatments, grass carp, plant removal; homeowner association covenants or deed restrictions; and local government contacts for road maintenance, mosquito control, etc.
List possible solutions. What would you like the pond to look like? Listen to all ideas, then reach consensus on what can be accomplished by the pond group. Solutions can include quarterly neighborhood meetings, storm drain marking, native plantings, nuisance vegetation removal, pond cleanup days, grants, and/or a general neighborhood cleanup.
Write an action plan. This can include: pond history, pond group members, pond maintenance schedule, budget, pollution prevention and education program, aquatic vegetation enhancement, algae control and fish & wildlife goals.
Implement your plan. Group members should be assigned specific tasks. Set deadlines. Contact local government agencies for educational material and technical guidelines.
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Lakes and Ponds Education Day is provided each year through a partnership of Pinellas County and the city of Largo. This free seminar is for volunteers and citizens interested in the health and management of our water resources, specifically lakes and stormwater ponds. It will be an opportunity to share information, to gain useful management tips, and to learn more about the efforts of similar organizations.The event is held in trade show format with featured presentations. Attendees are able to view displays and ask questions of staff from government, environmental, and private organizations. Please contact Pinellas County Watershed Management office at (727) 464-4425 or email us at at Watershed@pinellascounty.org for additional information.
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A Citizen’s Guide to Lake and Pond Management was originally created for the Pinellas County Adopt-A-Pond program. If you would like to receive a CD of this guide book, or if you simply want more information on adopting your own pond, please contact Melissa Harrison or Anamarie Rivera at the Pinellas County Watershed Management office at (727) 464-4425 or email us at Watershed@pinellascounty.org or visit the Pinellas County Water Atlas at www.Pinellas.WaterAtlas.org.
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