Caroline Ridge Owners Association, Inc.

Retention Pond Maintenance Issues...

Sep 30, 2003

Most of you who have homes that border a retention pond should have noticed that the tall grass and water lilies have been eradicated. The dead weeds will eventually dissolve and disappear from the banks as the monthly retention ponds receive scheduled treatments. Aquatic Systems has been awarded the contract to keep the ponds up to state standards. They usually treat the ponds during the first week of each month, so if you see someone walking along the embankment behind your home, please know that they are authorized to be there.
The maintenance crews will also be using a boat to pick up debris and other items that have washed into the ponds. On this subject, you could help us keep the ponds clean by properly disposing of soda bottles, snack wrappers and other trash in a garbage can. If you have children could you please help us by asking them not to drop their trash down the drains in the street. Everything that is disposed of there eventually ends up in the retention ponds. Also, if you could properly dispose of your lawn clippings and not just blow them in the street, that would help us tremendously.
Finally, we would like to remind you of the things you cannot do along the water?’s edge. Owners cannot erect docks, piers or barrier walls that would interfere with the natural slope of the embankment. Doing those items can result in significant fines as well as the reconstruction costs to bring the embankment back to state standards.
If you didn?’t take the time and get a copy of several great free publications from the St Johns River Water Management District, we encourage you to visit their web site: http://www.sjrwmd.com and order many of their free offerings. If you have young children they have several great publications that teach them how to maintain our environment, presented in a very child-friendly way.