How Are Our Stormwater Ponds Managed?
The 42 SRPs in Spanish Wells were constructed, and are managed, to insure that heavy rainfall from Hurricanes and other weather events can be efficiently controlled to prevent flooding and damage to the community. Significant investments have been made during the past ten years to insure that this system works properly, including pump replacements to move water off site more quickly, and storm drainage infrastructure for better flow. Lake 50 (shown here) is the final SRP in Spanish Wells before the water leaves our community for the Gulf of Mexico.
Spanish Wells now has a community-wide focus on water quality, and SWCA is taking action by making plans to improve the health, function and aesthetics of these important waters. The Lakes Committee is developing a Ten-Year Plan to include recommendations on contemporary management and remediation practices such as Aeration, Littoral Plantings and community-wide Best Management Practices (BMPs.) See image of Spanish Wells Citizen Scientists taking water samples for analysis as part ofLee County's Pond Watch Program.
The SWCA Lakes Committee works with a professional lakes management company, currently Lake Doctors. Aeration has been recently installed into many Spanish Wells Stormwater Retention Ponds (SRPs) with more installations in the coming years. Aeration helps to increase dissolved oxygen in the water, improving the breakdown of organic matter, increasing the beneficial bacteria that consume nutrients and improving habitat for fish, turtles, frogs and birds.