Dry ponds

Also known as infiltration basins. Dry ponds are a grassed alternative to bioretention cells. This permits the landscape to be accessed and used as an amenity space.

Overview

Dry ponds are recommended as flood control structures to accommodate occasional excess overflow downstream of other structural BMPs. They should be integrated into the landscape as useful, accessible public space.

Dry ponds are ideal for:

• Managing infrequent extreme flow events,
• incorporating into parks and other green recreational spaces,
• distributing across a larger development site

Design

Sizing

The surface storage volume of a dry pond (A_p) is determined: $A_{p}={\frac {RVC_{T}\times A_{c}}{f'\times t}}$

Where:

• RVC_T = Runoff volume control target (mm)
• A_c = Area of the catchment (m²)
• f' = design infiltration rate (mm/hr)
• t = time permitted for ponding to infiltrate (hrs) (typically 48 hours)

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Excess flow control

Modeling

Dry ponds are found in storage element in the LID TTT

The largest area is at the top, level 0 m; each subsequent lower depth has a smaller area

A dry pond as a storage element (key parameters) in the Treatment Train Tool.

Stage Storage
Name	Important to have a unique name, to connect it with the catchment area
Storage type	Dry detention ponds
Bottom elevation (m)	This is important to correspond with other components, e.g. when the overflow is coupled to another BMP within a treatment train
Maximum depth (m)
Lined/unlined	Unlined (ideally)
Underlying soil	Choose from five; sandy soils drain more quickly.
Evaporation factor	?
Suction head (mm)	?
Saturated conductivity (mm/hr)	?
Initial soil moisture deficit (fraction)	?
Curves
The Curves table is designed to accommodate the side slopes. The top line begins at 0 m, with subsequent depths in the following lines.

Materials

Resilient turf grasses are particularly useful in the design of vegetated filter strips, dry ponds and enhanced grass swales. The Ministry of Transportation have standardized a number of grass mixes. The 'Salt Tolerant Mix' is of particular value for low impact development applications alongside asphalt roadways and paved walkways.

Canada #1 Ground Cover (salt tolerant mix)

Common name	Scientific name	Proportion
Tall Fescue	Festuca arundinacea	25 %
Fults Alkali Grass	Puccinellia distans	20 %
Creeping Red Fescue	Festuca rubra	25 %
Perennial ryegrass	Lolium perrenne	20 %
Hard Fescue	Festuca trachyphylla	10 %

Gallery

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  Wishing well park is a baseball field with flood warning signs, Scarborough ON

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  Avondale Park, designed for flood storage, but not optimized for infiltration, North York ON

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  A multi-functional dry basin, still due to be fitted with playground equipment. Cambridge, UK. Photo credit: Simon Bunn

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  This dry pond features a concrete lined low-flow channel. Photo credit: US EPA

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  Stormwater lagoon, Wilmhurst Road, Warwick. UK. Photo credit: Robin Stott

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  Dry polder northwest of Vincencov, Prostějov. Czech Republic. Photo credit: Jiří Komárek

Ground depression acting as a flow control and water treatment structure, that is normally dry.

Depressed storage area, designed to capture flood events.

The land draining to a single reference point (usually a structural BMP); similar to a subwatershed, but on a smaller scale.

The rate at which stormwater percolates into the subsoil measured in inches per hour.

Low Impact Development. A stormwater management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased urban runoff and stormwater pollution by managing it as close to its source as possible. It comprises a set of site design approaches and small scale stormwater management practices that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration and evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting.

The temporary storage of stormwater to control discharge rates, and allow for sedimentation.

Best management practice. State of the art methods or techniques used to manage the quantity and improve the quality of wet weather flow. BMPs include: source, conveyance and end-of-pipe controls.

Stormwater management following the hierarchical approach: Source Control measures, Conveyance Control measure and End of Pipe treatment to achieve the water quality and water balance target for lot level development of the preferred strategy.

A combination of lot level, conveyance, and end-of-pipe stormwater management practices.

Abiotic transfer of water vapour to the atmosphere.

A stormwater management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased urban runoff and stormwater pollution by managing it as close to its source as possible. It comprises a set of site design approaches and small scale stormwater management practices that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration and evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting.

A mixture of mineral aggregates bound with bituminous materials, used in the construction and maintenance of paved surfaces.

The slow movement of water into or through a soil or drainage system.

Penetration of water through the ground surface.

Ground depression acting as a flow control and water treatment structure, that is normally dry.