City of Everett

P
ollution created by our daily activities
is the greatest threat to water quality

Drainage Basins
1. Pigeon Creek No. 1
What is a
Detention Pond?
2. Pigeon Creek No. 2
3. Glenhaven Creek
in the Puget Sound Region. You can help 4. Glenwood Creek
5. Phillips Creek
detention ponds function properly by 6. Merrill & Ring Creek
7. Narbeck Creek
not using them as dumping grounds for 8. Powder Mill Gulch
9. Edgewater Creek
garbage, pet 10. Japanese Gulch
11. Swamp Creek
Pollution waste and 12. North Creek
13. Silver Lake
other debris.
created by our

14. Wood Creek
15. Lowell
daily activities There are

is the greatest 15 major

Contact us:
For more information on how the City of Everett
protects surface water visit our web site
at www.ci.everett.wa.us/pw.
You may also contact us directly
at [email protected]
or by phone at 425-257-8800.
Brought to you by the City of Everett
Revised March 2013
What are detention ponds, Do mosquitoes breed there? Is the pond supposed
and why are they needed? Will algae be a problem? to have vegetation?
Water runoff from streets and parking areas Before the wet pond matures and the plants Ponds have various kinds of wetland plants
carries oil, dirt and pollutants from pavement have grown, mosquitoes and algae may such as reed grass, yellow iris and bulrushes.
and landscaped areas. To reduce these become a problem. These plants absorb excess nutrients and
pollutants from entering our urban creeks, As the plants grow pollutants, which can then be removed by
...these ponds
streams, ponds and lakes, developers are and fill the water, cutting down the plants. This encourages new
required to treat stormwater runoff. they remove the attract frogs, plant growth and hence the removal of more
extra nutrients pollutants. Over time sediment build up will
A common stormwater treatment system is that cause algae.
dragonflies and occur, which also needs to be removed to
called a wet detention pond. Wet detention
ponds contain water at all times and serve a
Eventually other red-winged help maintain a healthy,
kinds of organisms functional pond.
dual purpose. They treat stormwater runoff to that eat mosquito blackbirds.
protect our creeks and streams, and during larvae move into
severe storms, they help prevent flooding. the pond. Usually, these ponds attract frogs,
How are pond
The other kind of detention pond used in dragonflies and red-winged blackbirds. levels controlled?
Everett is a dry detention pond. Generally, The ponds are designed to slow down the
dry detention ponds only hold water during water runoff to prevent flooding. To slow
rainstorms and their primary function is the water down there is a special restrictor
flood prevention. device located downstream from the pond.
The restrictor has a small hole for water to
While most of the stormwater treatment
pass through to leave the site. When more
system is located underground and is
water enters the pond than can get out of the
not visible, the detention pond is a vital
component of this system.
retention vs. detention hole, the water backs up and is temporarily
stored in the pond. After it stops raining, the
A retention pond does not discharge pond should slowly empty to its normal level.
How does it work? to a downstream system. The only
way water leaves a retention pond is
Some of the pollutants in stormwater, like Who maintains these ponds?
phosphorous and nitrogen, serve as nutrients by evaporation or by soaking into the
surrounding soils. If the detention pond is located in a multi-
for plants. In a natural stream or wetland,
family complex or a condominium complex,
these nutrients can cause problems by
A detention pond discharges into the owner or homeowners’ association
encouraging too much plant growth. Plants
a drainage system, usually through maintain the ponds. City of Everett employees
in the wet detention ponds use these same
an underground pipe. The majority inspect the ponds to make sure they are
nutrients to fuel growth, so fewer of these
of ponds in the City of Everett are functioning properly. In most single-family
pollutants enter the natural streams and
designed to be detention ponds. residential subdivisions the City owns and
wetlands. Insects and micro-organisms living
maintains the ponds.
in the pond’s mud help remove pollutants
from the stormwater.