COMPREHENSIVE STORMWATER POND MONITORING

Stormwater management ponds are widely used to control urban stormwate r pollution. An understanding of the relevant biological, chemical and physical processes in such ponds requires a comprehensive monitoring program. Such a program is described for a 0.52 ha pond near Kingston, Ontario. In addition to continuous measurement and discrete sampling of pond inflow, storage and outflow to define the overall mass balance s of water, sediment and chemicals, the program includes special proce ss-related surveys and investigations. These include analyses of botto m sediment cores, suspended sediment and submergent plants as well as modelling/measurement of the velocity field and sediment transport. Th is comprehensive monitoring program is presented as an example of what should be implemented in many climatic re-ions before transfer of dat a on pond performance can be justified.