When you manage a stormwater pond, it is important to have a stormwater pond maintenance program to ensure that you are following all laws. You want to make sure you are complying with strict regulations that include undergoing, and passing, regular stormwater inspections. 

Stormwater Inspection Types
There are three main types of stormwater inspections you can conduct or have one of the stormwater inspection companies in Florida conduct for you: routine, quarterly and annual. Each of these types differ in complexity based partly in frequency but also in the size and scope of the site to inspect. Each type of stormwater inspection offers its own value, and each is a necessary component of proper overall site management.

Routine Stormwater Inspection
Facilities can use checklists or software to conduct routine inspections or simply conduct a visual inspection of all equipment, materials and operations. Regardless, all routine stormwater pond inspections should include, at minimum:

• Time and date of the inspection
• Names and signatures of those performing the inspection
• Documentation of compliance or non-compliance
• Control measures in need of replacement or repairing
• Applicable weather-related factors

While routine inspections are not generally required by any municipality or regulatory authority, they are still wise to keep up with the maintenance of the stormwater pond and to prevent unforeseen difficulties when the mandatory quarterly and annual inspections do occur.

Quarterly Stormwater Inspection
Quarterly inspections are necessary for facilities to confirm the stormwater for every point source complies with the effluent limits their permits set. Since these inspections are typically mandatory, most municipalities and regulatory authorities have templates or forms facilities can fill out as they conduct these inspections.

A quarterly stormwater inspection involves visually assessing all outflows and sampling the stormwater from every point source. These samples must be collected, analyzed and the results documented all under very precise and meticulous conditions.

Annual Stormwater Inspection
Once a year, at minimum, every facility must conduct at least one comprehensive site inspection. The facility must conduct this inspection, or hire one of the reputable stormwater inspection companies in Florida to conduct it, while stormwater is being actively discharged, and only qualified personnel are permitted to collect samples for analysis.

An annual stormwater inspection must contain:

• Observations of all areas the permit covers, including storm drains
• Documentation of all materials onsite with which stormwater may have come in contact
• Tracking of all sediment and materials that have left the site
• Description of any places where spills or leaks have happened
• Summary of all collected monitoring data
• List of control measures, including ones needing replacement or repairs, and their current status

When you have a water body that you're maintaining, you need to determine which type of dredging is best for your pond or lake. As water bodies get older, they can get a layer of sediment at the bottom, which creates a whole host of problems, including algae bloom and too many aquatic plants. In these types of bodies of water, fish and other animals usually can't live, and taking a boat with a motor out into this type of water is usually out of the question because the plants will get tangled in the blades. All of these problems usually lead to lower home values. Learn more about choosing the right dredging solutions here.

Hydraulic Dredging
​This type of dredging pulls up sediment and water through a pump and sends it offshore through a tube. One of its biggest benefits is that it can do large amounts of work in a short amount of time because the operating cycles are almost continuous. Plus, because the system is closed, the sediment doesn't get suspended back into the water. The one drawback of this type of dredging is that it doesn't work if there's a lot of large debris, which can break the machine.

Mechanical Dredging
This method uses a backhoe or clamshell to dig up sediment, which is put into trucks to go to disposal sites. Mechanical dredging is good for bodies of water that have a lot of large objects, such as rocks and branches, because these objects won't break the clamshell or backhoe. This method can be used to dredge ponds, boat ways in lakes, and large container shipping routes in the ocean. One of its drawbacks is that it often means that the entire body of water is drained. It's also only good for smaller areas and takes longer than hydraulic dredging.

Hydro-Raking
This tool uses a rake at the front of a water vehicle to rake up much, such as plants and dead material at the bottom of the body of water. Its biggest drawback is that you can't use it to get rid of sediment at the bottom of the body of water. It's usually used on smaller bodies of water, and it's good on water as shallow as 18 inches.

How To Choose a Dredging Method
You should look at the size of the body of water you need to dredge and what kind of material you need to dig up. Also, talk to lake management companies in Florida to learn more about what would be best for your water body. An expert can quickly determine which type of dredging would be best, and they can tell you more about how you can maintain your body of water in the future.

Cattails are one of the most prominent plants that grow in lakes and ponds, and you might find that many people consider them to be desirable. These plants can grow as tall as 10-feet, which makes them a major focal point. They can also serve as a shoreline buffer that helps to prevent erosion. When properly controlled, cattails can prevent unwanted algae growth by absorbing nutrients before they reach the water. However, these same majestic plants can also become a nuisance if their growth spirals out of control. Managing cattails in your Florida lake or pond is essential for maintaining its health, and you can choose from several options to eliminate them completely or deter their overgrowth.

Start With a Professional Assessment
The first thing that you’ll want to do is have a professional take a look at the cattail growth to determine if it is causing a problem. Cattails often serve as a habitat for desirable wildlife such as birds, which is why you typically don’t want to eliminate them completely. If the cattails overgrow, then they can start to prevent wildlife from being able to access the pond. They can also restrict water flow and lead to stagnant areas that attract mosquitoes. Once a professional determines that the cattails are creating a problem, they can recommend the best methods for their removal.

Consider Using Aquatic Herbicides
Professional pond management technicians can use special herbicides to control cattails. Aquatic herbicides must meet U.S. EPA and Florida’s state standards before a licensed professional is allowed to apply it to naturally growing plants near bodies of water. During the application process, the lake management technician applies the herbicide to the cattails that need to be controlled. Since it is species-specific, you don’t have to worry about it harming other desirable plants. While this control method is effective, it does come with the potential issue of having the plants remain in or near the water after they die off. Eventually, they’ll decompose, but this can create an issue for water health if the cattails are extensive.

Explore the Option of Using Mechanical Removal
Hydro-raking is one method that lake and pond management companies in Florida use to remove unwanted cattails. This method uses special equipment to pull the cattails up and out of the water, and it provides the benefit of disrupting their underground root system so that they are less likely to keep coming back. Although mechanical removal does come with the risk of potentially harming desirable plants, it has the benefit of also completely removing the cattails from the water so that they don’t lead to poor oxygen levels or an overabundance of nutrients that feed algae.

Whether you like the look of a few cattails lining the shore of your pond or you want them out of there, you’ll want to include them in your water management plan. Controlling cattails is a year-round concern in Florida, and being proactive is the best way to avoid having them affect the health of your lake or pond.

Aquascaping is a beautiful feature that you can add to your pond, whether it's a community or personal one. You might have even heard of the term, but a lot of people don't completely understand how this type of feature is used, how it's beneficial, and how to get started. If you're looking for a way to add beneficial plants to a pond, this is the guide for you.

What Is Aquascaping?More specifically, aquascaping is underwater gardening. When you aquascape, you set up plants, substrates, stones, driftwood, and more in an aesthetically pleasing way. But as anyone who has tried to maintain a body of water knows, it can be challenging to get the ecosystem right so that everything grows healthfully.

Principles That Can HelpWhile aquascaping can be a difficult venture, there are some core guidelines that you need to employ to have a beautiful underwater garden. One of the most important things that you need to keep in mind is that aquascaping requires persistence. It's very likely that you'll experience setbacks when you're setting up your aquascape. Plants will die if you choose the wrong ones to put together or if the PH is off in the water. You're developing an ecosystem, and everything needs to be in balance.

You also need to keep things simple, especially in the beginning. It's tempting to choose exotic plants that look beautiful, but you need to ensure that the garden is healthy, and the wrong plant or fish can throw everything off balance. Too many different kinds of plants also usually lead to an appearance that's less visually appealing. Think about proportions, too. Having your plants all the same height can make your aquascape look boring. Too many plants with large leaves can also take up too much space, and you want some space in your pond or lake that's open.

Hardscape MaterialsSome of these materials are likely already in your lake or pond, but you might choose to add or arrange substrate, driftwood, and other hardscape materials. This adds aesthetic interest and can even make the aquascape more sustainable.

Technical AspectsIf you're creating a pond, there are some things that you need to keep it healthy. For instance, you'll need pond pumps to get rid of algae, leaves, and other materials that can harm your pond. You should also use liquid fertilizers to provide food for your plants. You might also need to invest in a CO2 system because this gas is essential for plant growth.

Growing an aquascape can be time-consuming and difficult. If you want some help, you can talk to one of the lake management companies in Florida. They have the experience that can make your project more successful and beautiful.