Stormwater ponds are the most common best management practice (BMP) for controlling runoff in coastal South Carolina. Ponds are frequently associated with residential developments. Dredging is the largest cost associated with the life-cycle maintenance of stormwater ponds and is often the responsibility of residential neighborhood Home Owners Associations. Direct estimates of sedimentation rates occurring in residential stormwater ponds typical of coastal South Carolina and a comprehensive understanding of what factors influence the variability of sedimentation rates among ponds are needed. The question of how pond functioning and nutrient removal efficacy may change over time has also been identified as a key research issue. Combining measurements of nutrient concentrations in pond sediments with estimates of sediment deposition rates over time will yield another means of assessing longer-term pond sediment removal capacity and also how removal capacity may vary as a function of total sediment accumulation and loss of pond volume over time.
The overall goal of the research is to provide quantitative and locally relevant estimates of pond sediment sources and accumulation rates to create information needed for pond owners to better anticipate and plan for maintenance dredging. A secondary goal is to increase current understanding of the integrated role of ponds in nutrient sequestration at the landscape scale. Specifically, researchers will determine sediment accumulation rates in a range of residential stormwater ponds in coastal South Carolina and quantify the relative contributions of internal and external sediment sources. Additionally, nutrient concentrations of pond sediments will be quantified with depth to investigate changes to pond function over time. Technical recommendations will be disseminated to regulatory agencies, municipal stormwater managers, public education providers, and the broader scientific community.
Research Results
Schroer, William. “Drivers of Sediment Accumulation and Nutrient Burial in Coastal South Carolina Residential Stormwater Detention Ponds.” Master’s thesis, University of South Carolina, 2017.
Schroer, William, Benitez-Nelson, Claudia R., Smith E., Ziolkowski L. Drivers of Sediment Accumulation and Nutrient Burial in Coastal Stormwater Detention Ponds, South Carolina, USA. Ecosystems, 2017.