Tacoma, Wash. Pond Clearing

Tacoma, Wash. | HOA | Stormwater Management

Overview:

Proactive property managers of this homeowners association requested rehabilitation of stormwater ponds after over twenty years of neglect. The neighborhood HOA in Tacoma had four stormwater ponds that had become extremely overgrown and inundated with hundreds of mature trees.

Problem:

Stormwater retention ponds are common stormwater control measures in areas with available land. They can function for aesthetic purposes as well as provide stormwater quality and quantity benefits. Retention ponds require regular maintenance to ensure they continue to operate properly, and any issues are repaired promptly. As these ponds had not been maintained for twenty years, they were no longer operational. Mature trees filled what once were retention ponds. Mature trees contribute large volumes of organic material to the systems, prevent slope stability by shading out native grasses, disallow the proper inspection and maintenance, disrupt the integrity of a dam slope, and create structural issues with the designed system. For this property to be restored to its original design, AQUALIS first had to remove all the excess growth.

Solution:

To repair these ponds, AQUALIS first had to remove and cut all overgrown vegetation from the slopes and inside each pond. Proper removal of mature trees is crucial because as root systems begin to rot, sediment will fall into cavities potentially creating sinkholes.

The ponds were inundated with nuisance vegetation, thousands of willow and alder trees were removed, chipped and hauled away. Rehabilitating four ponds to original design after decades of neglect is a project that requires multiple stages. The ponds on this property occupied seven acres in total, and removing the overgrowth took months. By performing work in multiple stages, AQUALIS was able to keep budget constraints in mind and perform work in order of importance.