Johnson Engineering team members Mike Lohr, P.S.M. and Kim Arnold, P.G., along with Sarasota County Environmental Manager John Ryan, presented at the 2015 Florida Stormwater Association (FSA) conference held June 17-19. The team presented their findings from studies of wet detention pond discharge behavior.

The presentation focused on the ongoing study of discharge frequency at 25 sites located across Sarasota County, and touched on lessons learned from the Long Term Discharge Study conducted in conjunction with Bonita Bay Group and the Florida Department of Environmental protection from 2007-2012.

In keeping with the theme of the conference, “Integrat-ing Water Resources,” the team highlighted the great variability in wet detention pond discharge behavior due to influences such as seasonal rainfall distribution, local hydrogeology, and irrigation practices. The findings encouraged stakeholders to consider how better understanding of site-specific conditions and management practices can improve wet detention pond design and function to more closely resemble natural discharge behavior. The authors hope improved knowledge of how wet detention ponds behave in practice will help water managers and stakeholders improve design criteria and identify optimal water quality improvement projects for Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) to aid in meeting Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).

For more information, contact Kim Arnold or Mike Lohr at [email protected].