LAKE AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

 

Water in Southwest Florida is a precious natural resource. With our population growing each year we must protect and preserve our fresh water. With that goal in mind, Spanish Wells has developed a lake and storm water management system, a residential dual water system, and adopted xeriscaping principles.

 

Spanish Well's lakes are not only beautiful, they are functional. Spanish Well's storm water management system has been permitted by the South Florida Water Management District to provide for flood control and to meet state water quality standards. Lake levels are designed to fluctuate throughout the year, as both the amount of rain and the ground water levels vary.

 

Where possible, storm water flows are routed through vegetation, swales and berms where the absorption of nutrients and the filtration of sediments and organic debris begin. The water is then collected in numerous ponds, marshes, and man-made lakes where it is detained for further filtration before flowing into saltwater estuaries. This detainment also protects against downstream flooding during a heavy rainfall. Both the overflow elevations and the drainage rate out of the ponds are based on the way water naturally behaved on the property prior to development. This maintains the natural groundwater table and preserves the natural "hydro period", or the amount of time it would take the land to drain naturally.

 

The permit from the South Florida Water Management District also requires that SWCA maintain all segments of the water management system. This includes the drainage pipes, pumping system, ponds, marshes and man-made lakes. Clearly, drainage pipes need to be replaced periodically and the pumping system needs to be maintained on a continuous basis.