By B.C. Manion
When Patrick Hunter wants to go fishing, he just heads out behind his house and casts a line into the Lake Heather Pond.
If he wants a lovely view, he simply gazes at the beauty of the placid pool of water.
And, if he wants to get up close with nature, he strolls around the pond’s perimeter to check out the blooms on the magnolia tree, to capture a photo of the purple pickerel weed or to watch a red-shouldered hawk make a circle in the sky.
The pond is teaming with life and it offers an excellent spot for enjoyment for Hunter and his neighbors.
It wasn’t always this way.
Just a few years ago, the pond was choked with coattails, torpedo grass and Brazilian pepper bushes. It was drying up in places and filling in with weeds.
It was on its way to becoming marshland, Hunter said.
But he and his neighbors joined forces with the Adopt-A-Pond program to restore the pond to good health. Instead of being an eyesore, the pond now provides a bit of beauty for people living around it or passing by.
The pond’s good health is no accident, said Hunter, whose group is maintaining just one of the 260 ponds that have been taken on by groups in the Adopt-A-Pond program. The program is funded by Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough River and Alafia River basin boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
The program, which began in 1991, helps homeowners learn how to manage their storm water pond in order to create a functional wetland system.
Keeping storm water ponds healthy is important because they prevent flooding, they provide water treatment and groundwater recharge and they are part of the network of waterways.
Lake Heather Pond, unlike most ponds, does not flow into other waterways unless there is an unusual flood event, Hunter said.
But it does pick up pollutants that are carried into the pond from nearby yards, streets and parking lots.
It’s important to minimize pollutants and to use vegetation to provide cover for baby fish, said Hunter, whose group known as Lake Heather Pond Keepers has been helping to keep the pond healthy since 2006.
Those wishing to participate in the Adopt-A-Pond program must submit an application, which can be found on the Hillsborough County Water Atlas at www.hillsborough.wateratlas.us.edu/AAP. The application explains the program’s requirements.
Pasco County also has a volunteer program aimed at keeping ponds healthy. Information about that program can be found at www.adoptapondpasco.org.
The website explains the criteria used for acceptance into the program, offers suggestions on vegetation, includes a form people can fill out if they would like a presentation on the program and offers other useful information.
The nonprofit Pasco organization lists its partners and supporters as Florida Lake Watch, Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance, Pasco County Government and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Keep your pond healthy:
Don’t let yard waste and falling leaves wash into your storm drains. Compost them or use them for mulch.
Fertilize wisely. Twice a year is often enough and spring and fall are the best times to fertilize.
Learn about your dirt. You can have your soil analyzed by the Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension Service. Once you know more about your soil, you will know what it really needs. When using fertilizer, think “slow” — as in slow release or insoluble. That way the fertilizer you put on your yard will stay there instead of ending up in your pond.
Establish fertilizer-free zones. Stay at least 50 feet away from your pond and a few feet away from your pavement with fertilizer applications.
Source: Hillsborough County Adopt-A-Pond program
Prevent the introduction or spread of invasive plants:
Avoid disturbing natural areas. This means you should avoid clearing native vegetation, refrain from planting non-native plants and steer clear of dumping yard wastes.
Do not use exotic species in your landscaping, for land restoration or for erosion control projects.
Use plants that are native to your local region, as much as possible, for your landscaping projects. If the plant is not native, make sure that it is not known to be invasive. Your cooperative extension service can advise you on that.
Source: Hillsborough County Adopt-A-Pond program
