Southwest Florida Water Management District
Balancing Water Needs … Protecting Water Resources
For more information, please contact:
Southwest Florida Water Management District
2379 Broad Street
Brooksville, FL 34604-6899
(352) 796-7211
1-800-423-1476 (FL only)
Some text excerpted from the
Neighborhood Guide to Stormwater Systems.
Used with permission of the St. Johns River Water Management District.
in Your Neighborhood
Stormwater
Systems
Maintaining,
landscaping and
improving
stormwater ponds
2
The Southwest Florida Water Management
District (District) is the agency responsible for
managing and protecting your water resources.
The District’s mission is to manage water
and related natural resources to ensure their
continued availability while maximizing the
benefits to the public.
Southwest
Florida Water
Management District
L E V Y
M A R I O N
C I T R U S
L A K E
S U M T E R
H E R N A N D O
P A S C O
P I N E L L A S
P O L K
S A R A S O T A
H A R D E E
D E S O T O
C H A R L O T T E
H I G H L A N D S
H I L L S B O R O U G H
M A N A T E E
N
S
W
E
3
Stormwater Systems
Simply put, a stormwater system is a tool for
managing the runoff from rainfall. When
rainwater lands on rooftops, parking lots, streets,
driveways and other surfaces that water cannot
go through, the runoff (called stormwater
runoff) flows into grates, swales or ditches
located around your neighborhood. These send
the water into your stormwater pond. A
stormwater pond is specifically designed to help
prevent flooding and remove pollutants from the
water before it can drain into the groundwater —
our main source of drinking water — or into
streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries or the
gulf. Your stormwater pond might be located in
your backyard, down the street or on nearby
property.
Without a stormwater system, the stormwater
runoff usually flows into the nearest water body
without treatment. The runoff carries pollutants
such as litter, motor oil, gasoline, fertilizers,
pesticides, pet wastes, sediments and anything
else that can float, dissolve or be swept away by
moving water.
4
History of
Stormwater Systems
Wetlands are Florida’s original stormwater
systems and once covered more than half the
state.
Wetlands are extremely valuable resources
because they:
• Control flooding. They do this by soaking
up and retaining excess water like a giant
sponge. They also slow down water flow, giving
floodwaters more time to recede.
• Serve as habitat for a variety of plants and
animals. Many endangered plant and animal
species depend on wetlands for their survival.
• Improve water quality. Wetlands slow down the
flow of water and absorb pollutants, storing
them, breaking them down and in some cases
even using them as nutrients.
Unfortunately, because people once
misunderstood the true value of wetlands, more
than one-half of our original wetlands have been
drained for agriculture or filled for roads,
housing developments and industrial complexes.
As development increased and more paved areas
covered the land, stormwater runoff became the
primary source of pollution to surface waters in
Florida. In the early 1980s, the Florida Legislature
passed laws requiring treatment of stormwater.
5
How Stormwater
Systems Work
Stormwater systems come in a variety of shapes,
sizes and forms, but basically there are two types,
retention and detention.
Retention System
A retention system is designed to allow water to
seep through soil into the shallow groundwater
aquifer. A system can be constructed or it can be
a natural depression. Grass stabilizes basin slopes
and filters sediments. Retention systems are
constructed so that stormwater percolates into
the ground without direct discharge to natural
surface water bodies.
Retention System
6
A swale is a linear retention system. It is either a
constructed or natural area shaped to allow water
to be quickly absorbed into the ground or to
allow the water to flow to other water bodies. As
in a shallow ditch, a swale promotes water
absorption through soils. Swales hold water
during and immediately after a storm, but they
are generally dry.
Detention System
Detention systems (ponds) are the most
recognizable stormwater system. They are
designed to allow material to settle and be
absorbed. After a storm, water slowly drains from
the pond through a pipe in the “outflow”
Swale
Detention System
7
structure. Part of the pond, known as the
permanent pool, is always below the level of the
drain structure. Constructed detention systems
(ponds) are required to have aquatic plants
around the perimeter to help filter sediment in
stormwater runoff. The owner of the pond
should refer to the permit for exact
specifications.
Because retention and detention systems were
designed to imitate natural processes, individuals
may have stormwater systems on or near their
property without realizing it. What appears to be
a natural indentation in the backyard may have
been designed as a stormwater swale. What looks
like a wild patch of shrubbery may be an
important vegetative buffer around a pond.
8
Responsibility for
Stormwater Systems
In Florida, the responsibility for permitting most
stormwater systems rests with the water
management districts. After developers complete
construction of permitted systems in residential
areas, the permit and the legal responsibility for
maintaining these systems are typically passed on
to a homeowners, condominium owners or
property owners association.
It is then that the upkeep and maintenance of the
system becomes the responsibility of the
association, not the developers or the water
management district. The association is
responsible for labor and expenses for keeping
the system functional. This responsibility applies
to every homeowner and property owner in the
neighborhood, even if they do not live adjacent
to a detention or retention system, as everyone’s
stormwater flows into the system.
Copies of your association’s operation and
maintenance permit, plans and maintenance
guidelines were provided at the time of the
transfer to your association’s representative. For
more specific information about your pond, you
may call the Southwest Florida Water
Management District’s stormwater permitting
staff. Contact information can be found on
page 19 of this booklet.
9
Preventing Water Pollution
You can help conserve and improve the quality
of water that enters the stormwater ponds and
promote a healthy environment within your
community by following the advice provided
below.
Stormwater System Maintenance
If properly maintained, stormwater ponds
help prevent flooding and filter out pollutants
before they reach streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands,
groundwater, estuaries and, ultimately, the gulf.
The following are a few basic maintenance
guidelines that can help keep your stormwater
system functioning properly:
• Clear or clean inflow/outflow structures.
• Remove nuisance and excess vegetation.
• Repair eroded slopes.
• Clean up trash and yard waste in your yard and
gutters and around storm drains.
Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM
• Apply Florida-Friendly Landscaping™
principles to your landscape, which can
conserve water and reduce pollution of water
resources. By knowing your plants’ soils and
water needs, you can dramatically reduce the
amount of water used for irrigation, chemicals
used for pest control and fertilizers used for
growth. Information on Florida-Friendly
Landscaping™ can be found on the District’s
website, WaterMatters.org, or on the University
of Florida’s website, FloridaYards.org.
10
• Plant trees around the perimeter of a
stormwater pond to help shade the area, absorb
nutrients and lower the water table.
• Plant a buffer zone (minimum of 10 feet) of
low-maintenance plants between your lawn
and shoreline to absorb nutrients and provide
wildlife habitat.
Chemical Use on Landscape
• Use nontoxic chemical alternatives whenever
possible and pull weeds by hand.
• Avoid overuse of fertilizers, especially near the
water’s edge. Rain and lawn watering can wash
excess fertilizer into water bodies where excess
nutrients cause algal blooms (green pond
scum) and undesirable weed growth. The
University of Florida’s Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences recommends using
fertilizers with a high percentage of slow-
release nitrogen. The higher percentage of
slow-release, the less chance of leaching into
Florida’s water bodies. Proper fertilizer
application can result in less mowing, less
thatch buildup, less irrigation, fewer nutrients
washing into ponds and water bodies, and
fewer insect and disease problems.
• Use only herbicides labeled for aquatic use
when maintaining stormwater ponds.
Herbicides not labeled for aquatic use may
harm fish and other aquatic life, and their
application to aquatic sites is prohibited by
state and federal law.
• Wait until grass is actively growing to apply
fertilizer. Fertilizer applied when grass is not
growing wastes your money and time and can
contaminate your water.
11
• If fertilizer is spilled on the lawn or on the
sidewalk or pavement, sweep it up as thoroughly
as possible and put it back in the bag.
Additional Tips for Preventing
Water Pollution
• Never dump oils and other chemicals from
your home directly into stormwater drains,
which are direct conduits to your stormwater
pond or natural water body. Contact your local
government’s waste management department
for a list of disposal facilities.
• Keep vehicles tuned up and in good operating
condition. Check for drips and repair leaks
immediately to keep nuisance oils off
pavement.
• Buy low- or no-phosphate cleaners and
detergents. Phosphates act as a fertilizer and
increase algae and aquatic weeds in stormwater
ponds. When these plants die, they rob the
water of oxygen and fish may die.
• Wash your vehicles, bicycles and home
equipment on the lawn, where soapy water
can’t quickly run toward the nearest storm
drain, picking up other pollutants as it goes.
Wash your car with nontoxic, low-phosphate
soap and use water sparingly.
• Sweep walks and driveways instead of hosing
them down.
• Clean up pet wastes from which nutrients and
bacteria can enter the stormwater drains and
contaminate the water system.
• Avoid cutting your lawn too short, which reduces
its effectiveness in capturing runoff. Leaving it
taller will help it to survive dry periods.
12
• Never deposit lawn clippings in water bodies
and storm drains as this can increase oxygen
demand in the water, which can significantly
harm fish populations. Use lawn clippings for
mulch or compost.
• Do not fill stormwater ponds, swales and
retention systems because this can cause
flooding and endanger water bodies.
Stormwater systems are designed and
constructed to an appropriate size. Any
reduction in treatment volume will interfere
with the pond’s ability to hold stormwater
runoff.
• Changing the elevation of large pieces of
property can have drastic impacts on where
stormwater flows. Consult the stipulations
of your neighborhood’s permit before any
construction.
13
Aquascaping Your
Stormwater Pond
Aquascaping is simply landscaping the
shoreline of ponds with aquatic and wetland
plants. Aquascaped ponds and lakes have fewer
problems than those without aquascaping.
Desirable vegetation will filter polluted runoff,
trap sediments, control the growth of nuisance
vegetation and help make the pond visually
pleasing. Aquatic plants pump oxygen into the
water and create habitats by providing cover and
nurseries for fish and other organisms. More
importantly, vegetated shorelines help improve
water quality.
Choose desirable, low-maintenance plants to
aquascape your stormwater pond. Not all plants
are good for aquascaping, and the removal of
prohibited or unwanted plants can be difficult.
Associations are advised to contact a reputable
pond management company for most vegetation
management programs.
The next few pages contain a brief overview
of some desirable, high-maintenance and
prohibited aquatic plants.
14
Bur-marigold
Bidens laevis
Photo: Vic Ramey
© 2002 Univ. Florida
Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
Photo: A. Murray
© 1999 Univ. Florida
Plants Desirable for
Aquascaping
Aquascaping is landscaping in and around your
pond. These plants are preferred for your
“aquatic garden” as they grow slowly and require
little maintenance.
American white waterlily ... Nymphaea odorata
Arrowhead .......................... Sagittaria latifolia
Blue flag iris or Dixie iris ... Iris hexagona
Bog buttons ........................ Lachnocaulon spp.
Bur-marigold ...................... Bidens laevis
Duck potato ........................ Sagittaria lancifolia
Giant bulrush ..................... Scirpus californicus
Golden canna ..................... Canna flaccida
Gulf Coast spikerush .......... Eleocharis cellulosa
Lemon bacopa .................... Bacopa caroliniana
Lizard’s tail.......................... Saururus cernuus
15
Spikerush
Eleocharis sp.
Photo: Photographer not listed
© date not listed Univ. Florida
Golden canna
Canna flaccida
Photo: A. Murray
© 2000 Univ. Florida
Maidencane ........................ Panicum hemitomon
Pickerelweed ....................... Pontederia cordata
Pipewort ............................. Eriocaulon spp.
Soft rush ............................. Juncus effusus
Softstem bulrush ................ Scirpus



tabernaemontani
Spikerush ............................ Eleocharis sp.
St. John’s wort ..................... Hypericum brachy

phylum
Swamp lily .......................... Crinum americanum
Tapegrass or eelgrass .......... Vallisneria americana
Threadleaf arrowhead ........ Sagittaria filiformis
16
Cattail
Typha sp.
Photo: Kerry Dressler
1996
Duckweed

Spirodela polyrhiza
Photo: Vic Ramey
© 2000 Univ. Florida
High-Maintenance
Aquatic Plants
These plants may or may not be native, but they
grow quickly and may become weedy. The list
below is not recommended.
Bladderwort ........................ Utricularia spp.
Cattail ................................. Typha sp.
Coontail .............................. Ceratophyllum

demersum
Duckweed ........................... Spirodela polyrhiza
Mosquito fern ..................... Azolla sp.
Paragrass ............................. Urochloa mutica
Pennywort........................... Hydrocotyle sp.
Sedge ................................... Cyperus sp.
17
Spatterdock
Nuphar advena
Photo: Vic Ramey
© 2005 Univ. Florida
Wild taro
Colocasia esculenta
Photo: Vic Ramey
© 2005 Univ. Florida
Smartweed .......................... Polygonum spp.
Southern naiad ................... Najas guadalupensis
Spatterdock ......................... Nuphar advena
Torpedograss ...................... Panicum repens
Water fern ........................... Salvinia minima
Wild taro ............................. Colocasia esculenta
18
Hydrilla
Hydrilla verticillata
Photo: Vic Ramey
© 1999 Univ. Florida
Water hyacinth
Eichhornia crassipes
Photo: A. Murray
© 2002 Univ. Florida
Prohibited Aquatic Plants
Prohibited plants are aggressive weeds that are
restricted by state or federal law. These invasive
plants may not be possessed, transported,
cultivated or imported without a special permit.
Alligatorweed ..................... Alternanthera

philoxeroides
Aquarium watermoss ......... Salvinia molesta
Eurasian watermilfoil ......... Myriophyllum

spicatum
Hydrilla ............................... Hydrilla verticillata
Water spinach ..................... Ipomoea aquatica
Water hyacinth ................... Eichhornia crassipes
Water lettuce ....................... Pistia stratiotes
West Indian marsh grass .... Hymenachne

amplexicaulis
For additional information, visit the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission at MyFWC.com.
19
Contact Information
Your stormwater pond has been designed and
constructed to meet specific criteria to ensure that
it functions properly. For more information about
stormwater treatment systems in the Southwest
Florida Water Management District, contact
the nearest office below. You also can search the
permit associated with your stormwater pond at
WaterMatters.org/WMISERP.
Tampa Service Office
7601 Highway 301 North
Tampa, FL 33637-6759
(813) 985-7481 • 1-800-836-0797 (FL only)
This office issues all permits and provides assistance to
residents in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
Brooksville Headquarters
2379 Broad Street
Brooksville, FL 34604-6899
(352) 796-7211 • 1-800-423-1476 (FL only)
This office provides assistance to residents in Hernando,
Pasco, Citrus, Lake, Levy, Marion and Sumter counties.
Bartow Service Office
170 Century Boulevard
Bartow, FL 33830-7700
(863) 534-1448 • 1-800-492-7862 (FL only)
This office provides assistance to residents in
Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties.
Sarasota Service Office
6750 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34240-9711
(941) 377-3722 • 1-800-320-3503 (FL only)
This office provides assistance to residents in Sarasota,
Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.
COMAY 06-15The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) does not discriminate on the basis
of disability. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the District’s functions,
including access to and participation in the District’s programs and activities. Anyone
requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities
Act should contact the District’s Human Resources Bureau Chief, 2379 Broad St., Brooksville,
FL 34604-6899; telephone (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4703; or email
ADACoordinator@WaterMatters.org. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the
agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice).
Southwest Florida Water Management District
Balancing Water Needs … Protecting Water Resources
For more information, please contact:
Southwest Florida Water Management District
2379 Broad Street
Brooksville, FL 34604-6899
(352) 796-7211
1-800-423-1476 (FL only)
Some text excerpted from the
Neighborhood Guide to Stormwater Systems.
Used with permission of the St. Johns River Water Management District.
in Your Neighborhood
Stormwater
Systems
Maintaining,
landscaping and
improving
stormwater ponds