Ponds and wetlands
Ponds and wetlands are open areas of shallow Benefits
water designed so the water level can rise to Ponds Wetlands
provide temporary storage for excess water
during rainfall events. The water level rises
temporarily when it rains. Equally as important,
they provide valuable environmental benefits
by helping to remove pollution from surface
water runoff. Ponds are similar to wetlands but
Ponds and wetlands
have a greater focus on storing excess water
whereas wetlands have a greater focus on
treatment of pollution.
Features that are adopted by Cambridge City
Council will be located within areas of public open
space and must be designed to be visually
attractive, to enhance the space they occupy,
to provide wildlife habitat and be safe. In
general, ponds and wetlands that form part of
a SUDS can be relatively small and should be
26 designed so that they do not take up
excessive space within a development as
generally multiple smaller features can provide
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
better biodiversity and easier maintenance.
Small ponds can be used in a housing development if
integrated into the urban design, Malmo, Sweden
How they work Cambridge specific design
In a well designed system most of the storage considerations
and treatment is performed by the upstream The exact form of the ponds and wetlands
source control elements of the SUDS. Ponds will depend on the specific topography and
and wetlands will provide a final `polish’ to ground/soil conditions present at the site, as
remove any remaining pollution. This is well as its orientation, aspect and proximity to
achieved by ensuring that water flows slowly other landscape features, buildings, etc. The
through the pond over an extended period of design should contribute to the amenity of the
time. The time water takes to travel through local communities and be of an appropriate
is known as the residence time. The greater scale and form to suit the surrounding
this is the slower the water flow, which helps landscape character. In green open spaces
silt drop to the bottom of the pond and allows they should have a natural feel with soft edges
the vegetation and other organisms to remove and forms that flow into the surrounding area.
pollution.
The creation of bays suitable for breeding
An important mechanism is biodegradation of
Ponds and wetlands
wildfowl should be integrated into the shape of
oils by natural organisms in the pond. The larger ponds where possible. Hard edges and
organisms need a good supply of oxygen straight lines may be appropriate in some hard
which means the permanent water must be urban landscapes.
shallow so oxygen can reach the bottom of the
pond.
27
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
Small SUDS pool in high density housing – due to the
close proximity to buildings hard edges are appropriate
in this development, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Small SUDS pond, fully developed, Hopwood Services
For health and safety reasons, space The location of ponds in a development
constraints on most sites and due to the fact should be considered carefully in terms of
that natural ponds are generally small, it is biodiversity and connectivity to other areas.
likely that SUDS ponds will be small features For example, if located next to a wildlife hazard
that blend unobtrusively into the landscape. such as a road it may be necessary to provide
Large bodies of open water need careful a route for wildlife to reach the pond. The
consideration as SUDS ponds or wetlands in design of fencing, if used, should allow access
Cambridge. for wildlife below it.
Ponds should have varying depths and should Small interpretation boards should be
include deep (1m) over-wintering areas as provided and should include information relating
refuges for wildlife during severe winters. to the function of the pond and the local fauna
and flora the system supports.
Ponds and wetlands should be placed in
developments so they are overlooked by Ponds and wetlands should be designed to
housing and not hidden in an unseen corner. prevent/discourage the introduction of unsuitable
Alternatively, they can be located in larger species such as fish and wildfowl into ponds
Ponds and wetlands
areas of open space. This ensures the water or wetlands that are to support amphibians,
features are a valued part of a development. particularly great crested newts. However, this
and similar issues should be dealt with on a
Wherever possible, the ponds or wetlands
case by case basis.
should be located away from artificial light
sources as this will reduce the value of the Where a pond or wetland is intended to
feature to foraging bats. Like-wise, new lighting support nesting birds and/or waterfowl, islands
features should be avoided in close proximity should be provided to prevent foxes reaching
to ponds. nesting sites. The channel between the island
and bank must be at least 3m clear width.
There should be an assumption to retaining all
28 existing native trees and vegetation. The layout
of the ponds should respect the presence of
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
trees, and in particular, ensure that their root
systems are not compromised. Proposals
should accord with BS5837: 2005 and take
account of any implications resulting from the
presence of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs)
and Conservation Areas.
Shallow pond with gentle side slopes provides a safe
feature with easy access for maintenance, Florida, USA
SUDS ponds should be overlooked by housing where
possible, development in Elvetham Heath
Planting
Providing there is no conflict with the SUDS Some ponds at the end of the system may
operation the City Council will expect new lend themselves to natural colonisation,
ponds and wetlands to be planted to enhance particularly if linking to existing wetlands or
biodiversity. Native species of local watercourses. The slow colonisation of these
provenance will be favoured and should be ponds can provide valuable successional
appropriate for the individual conditions habitats. However erosion during establishment
provided by each feature. Non-native of the vegetation needs to be carefully
species may be considered in the more formal considered.
or urban settings but care must be taken not
A planting list is provided at the end of this
to introduce invasive species to the pond or
section
wetland system.
Were appropriate the species mix should
aim to create habitats that contribute to local,
regional and national Biodiversity Action Plan,
Ponds and wetlands
which can be found at http://www.ukbap.org.uk/
Practical issues and solutions
Many problems that have occurred with ponds
are due to a lack of attention to detail during 29
design and construction. Some of the most
common pitfalls and solutions are discussed
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
below. Good construction practice will mitigate
these problems, reduce overall construction
costs and ensure a smoother adoption
process. CIRIA publication C698, Site
Handbook for the Construction of SUDS
also contains practical construction help and
advice.
Algae in a SUDS pond is common in the first year or two
after construction, Worcestershire
Silt in a pond during construction caused by erosion due to Turf used as erosion control in a pond, Worcestershire
lack of topsoil and vegetation, motorway service area, M42
Ponds and wetlands
Practical issues and solutions
Problem: Silt build up during construction Solution: Manage construction runoff and prevent it
entering the pond by using straw bales or geotextile
traps. If the pond is used to control construction
runoff remove silt at end of project.
Problem: Erosion during construction before planting Solution: The easiest solution is to reuse
30 is established. topsoil without any application of weed killer.
This allows existing vegetation in the topsoil to
establish quickly. Another alternative is to use
biodegradable erosion control mats.
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
Problem: Algal blooms in the water. Solution: Avoid excessive use of fertiliser in
surrounding landscape. However algal blooms
are not uncommon as the pond establishes and
will disappear in time.
Problem: Water is not retained in the pond. Solution: Ensure that soils below the pond are
suitable to retain water. If not provide a clay
subsoil that is compacted correctly over base of
pond or use a liner.
Problem: Pond liner exposed around edges of Solution: Correct detailing and construction to
pond or wetland ensure that liner has sufficient cover of stable soil
at the edges (300mm minimum) and slopes do not
exceed a gradient of 1:3; steeper slopes would
encourage soil slippage.
Problem: Erosion at inlets. This is almost always Solution: Water flows in to ponds and wetlands
a sign that source control is not provided upstream. should normally be at low rates because source
control has been provided upstream. The City
Council will not adopt ponds or wetlands that do
not have source control provision upstream.
Problem: Poor establishment of marginal plants Solution: Correct construction to avoid excessive
due to over compaction of slide slopes and anaerobic tracking of machinery. Subsoils should be ripped
conditions. prior to topsoils being placed above.
Emergency overflow
Access for tracked
mini excavator
Scrub Outlet structure
Pond / wetland edge profile and flow control
Inlet
Ponds and wetlands
Forebay
(if required)
31
Pond/wetland
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
Safety bench / outlet structure
maintenance access and flow control
Wetland edge
Submerged berm
Wet zone
(if required)
Damp zone
SUDS pond in a public park designed for biodiversity with SUDS pond/wetland in a motorway service area showing
shallow side slopes and safety bench, Sheffield different zones, Hopwood Service Area, M42
150mm or similar wetland depth
depending on design requirements
Max 1 in 3 slope
Micropool 300-500mm depth
Dry bench Max 1 in 3 entry into water
Overflow level
Permanent water
Ponds and wetlands
Anchor trench if Wet bench if required
whole wetland
is lined
Geotextile - liner - geotextile 300mm subsoil
150mm topsoil on 150mm ‘sandmich’ (if liner used)
subsoil, on liner
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Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
Polypropylene chamber
Cover level
Perforated
control tube
Orifice control
Inlet pipe
invert
Outlet pipe invert
Perforated pipe
if required
Pond/wetland outlet structure and flow control
Maintenance requirements
Maintenance of ponds is relatively straight
forward for landscape contractors and typically
there is only a small amount of extra work
required for a SUDS pond or wetland.
More intensive maintenance work such as silt
and/or vegetation removal is only required
intermittently, but it should be planned to be
sympathetic to the requirements of wildlife
in a pond. The best time to carry out more
intensive work is between September and
November when the impact on wildlife will be
Ponds and wetlands
minimised (e.g. no newt breeding or young,
ground nesting birds are not breeding, impact
on water voles is less, etc.).
Intensive silt and vegetation removal should
only be carried out to limited areas at any one
time (25% to 30% of the pond area on one
occasion each year). Again this is to minimise
the impact on biodiversity.
Wherever possible the SUDS ponds and
wetlands should be designed so that special 33
machinery is not required to undertake
maintenance.
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
The costs of maintenance can be found within
Appendix B.
Managing wetland vegetation with a mini excavator.
Larger excavators should not be necessary, motorway
service area, M42
Planting list for SUDS ponds/
wetlands
The following species list is considered
suitable for planting in Cambridge SUDs. This
list should not be considered exhaustive and
the exact choice should relate to site-specific
conditions. Designs that aim to create a range
of plant communities and habitats across a
scheme are favourable.
Ponds and wetlands
Aquatics – submerged and floating, plant with Wet zone – emergents, plant in 0-250mm of water, as
weights, in permanently wet zone, equate to National plugs in groups of 5-10Nr. plants to create stands
Vegetation Communities, group A11
Sparganium erectum (branched bur-reed)
Potamogeton pectinatus (fennel pond weed) Typha angustifolia (lesser bulrush)
Potamogeton natans (broad – leaved pond weed) Schoenoplectus lacustris (common clubrush)
Myriophyllum spicatum (spiked water-milfoil) Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag iris)
Sparganium emersum (unbranched bur-reed) Glyceria fluitans (flote-grass)
Ranunculus circinatus (fan-leaved water-crowfoot) Carex acutiformis (pond sedge)
Potamogeton lucens (shining pondweed) Alisma plantago-aquatica (water-plantain)
34 Glyceria maxima (reed sweet-grass)
Damp zone - inundation-tolerant, plant up to 250mm Veronica scutellata (marsh speedwell)
above anticipated normal water level as plugs in groups
Cambridge SUDS Design & Adoption Guide
of 5-10Nr plants to create stands Dry zone - plant on upper slopes and bank-top as
seed, at the following % cover
Persicaria amphibia (amphibious bistort)
Caltha palustris (marsh marigold) Festuca rubra (red fescue)
Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet vernal grass)
Veronica beccabunga (brooklime) Cynosurus cristatus (crested dogtail)
Angelica sylvestris (wild angelica) Briza media (quaking grass)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) Deschampsia caespitosa (tufted hair grass)
Lotus uliginosus (greater bird’s-foot trefoil) Prunella vulgaris (selfheal)
Lycopus europaeus (gypsywort) Rhinanthus minor (yellow rattle)
Myosotis scorpiodes / laxa-cespitosa (water forget-me-not) Filipendula ulmaria (meadow sweet)
Apium nodiflorum (fool’s-water-cress) Lathyrus pratensis (meadow vetch)
Lychnis flos-cuculi (ragged robin) Lotus corniculatus (common birdsfoot trefoil)
Rumex hydrolapathum (water dock) Carex hirta (hairy sedge)
Mentha aquatica (water mint) Centaurea nigra (black knapweed)
Cardamine pratensis (cuckoo flower) Plantago lanceolata (ribwort plantain)
Ranunculus flammula (lesser spearwort) Potentilla anserina (silverweed)
Juncus articulatus (jointed rush) Rumex acetosa (common sorrel)
Carex pseudocyperus (hop sedge)
Stachys palustris (marsh woundwort)
Scrophularia auriculata (water figwort)
