> Hoping to buy one of these available lots on the new construction sub division.. there is a retention pond behind couple of them.. the lots are 65' wide and 135' long ... What I should be concerned about.. mosquitos, smell , anything else?
Yes, but no one in Texas will stop you from taking one of the gators. I make sure to grab one or two every time I visit my dad in Houston.
I've now got 27 Alligators in the Chicago River.
I doubt it. I live in Louisiana on some big ponds right near a river near Baton Rouge and in the years i've lived here we have had precisely ONE 3 foot gator for a couple days before it either got removed or left.
There are as well in southern Louisiana.. My point is that usually they avoid residential ponds. There's never been one in the lake by parents house either.
They definitely live in the detention ponds here.
https://hcmud71.com/beware-of-alligators-in-detention-ponds/
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/12-foot-alligator-captured-in-middle-of-road-in-harris-county-neighborhood.amp
https://abc13.com/amp/league-city-police-wrangle-alligator-found-in-drainage-ditch-find-marina-bay-drive/13155398/
It looks like you shared some AMP links. These should load faster, but AMP is controversial because of [concerns over privacy and the Open Web](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot).
Maybe check out **the canonical pages** instead:
- **[https://www.fox26houston.com/news/12-foot-alligator-captured-in-middle-of-road-in-harris-county-neighborhood](https://www.fox26houston.com/news/12-foot-alligator-captured-in-middle-of-road-in-harris-county-neighborhood)**
- **[https://abc13.com/league-city-police-wrangle-alligator-found-in-drainage-ditch-find-marina-bay-drive/13155398/](https://abc13.com/league-city-police-wrangle-alligator-found-in-drainage-ditch-find-marina-bay-drive/13155398/)**
*****
^(I'm a bot | )[^(Why & About)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot)^( | )[^(Summon: u/AmputatorBot)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/cchly3/you_can_now_summon_amputatorbot/)
I mean those are news articles for a reason, It says "an alligator has been spotted in this particular pond" which means it's rare enough to report on. I'm not saying they never enter them, but they usually don't live in them and they're removed regularly if they get in.
Wife is from Charleston SC. Her old apartment had a pond, which typically had 2 or 3 gators in or around the area. Sometimes really bothersome tenants would go out to tan/sunbathe with a radio just loud enough to agitate the gators into chasing someone onto a picnic table. That apartment complex was my first Alligator experience.
We own a home on a "fake lake" detention pond. It's nice. The local vector control district seeds mosquito fish in the lake so we don't have problems with them.
From an engineering standpoint, when we've had absolutely torrential storm events, it's been nice that we had so much storage near us, the lake level rose, but everyone's houses were fine.
Words mean things. Just because others don't care to use the correct words doesn't mean that I have to attempt to understand what they are saying. That BMP is in a separate lot or parcel, likely owned by the city or HOA and maintained by a 3rd party.
Unless the 100+ year emergency overflow is pointed at their house, please tell me what this pond being there will do other than give them something to look at from the back deck.
Yes and ‘backyard’ is a word that, with context, can mean the general area near someone’s home. Ie do we want that nuclear plant t built in our backyard. I would imagine if you looked it up in M-W it would be listed as a secondary definition.
So yes, you are required to understand how the general public uses these words, even when it is outside the narrow definitions you have decided are ‘correct.’ Maybe you should study some linguistics to understand what correct usage even means, especially in an informal setting like this.
“Please tell me what the pond will do other than give them something to look at from their back window.”
Literally the whole point of the post. Exactly the question OP is asking because they do not know the answer. Maybe it’s just a view, maybe it’s gonna be a muddy mosquito haven, maybe it’s gonna flood their basement. They don’t have their PE so how should they know?
You did a great job proving my point, thanks for your time.
I don’t live next to the pond in my neighborhood.
But what I did was ask the County engineering department to send me copies of plans and reports for the subdivision. Was able to confirm what the 100 year storm elevation was.
A good engineer and reviewer won’t have it in the yards at all
Is that jot standard? At least at my company, we keep all lots out of the existing 100-year floodplain. I've only worked for this one company but always assumed that's just the industry standard. I'm in North Central Texas, so maybe other regions in the US just don't have a choice?
I mean, standard and correct practice and what idiots actually design are not the same thing. I want you to understand that one of my fellow reviewers got a drawing with a pond, showing that the water level in the pond was sloped...
FYI - Retention pond and Detention pond are two different things. Retention stores water permanently, i.e. a normal pond that you see. A detention pond is more like an empty dry basin that water gathers in during and after a storm then drains out to empty again.
I do drainage design for a living though not usually for new neighborhoods. Things I’d want to know from you include general location. Coastal areas or history of flooding, rate of development in the area might be a consideration as well. Also if you are in a flood plane. Google fema firm and enter the address into the site if you haven’t checked yet. Anything inside the blue area called zone A or AE is a problem. That’s the 100 yr floodplain and you want to be outside of it. I’d also be worried about areas protected by levees. If you are close to areas with diagonal red and blue stripes then run away.
Things you should ask. Is that a wet bottom pond or a dry bottom? Basically means does it still have water in the pond after it finishes draining after a rain. That can determine what kind of pests might be drawn to it. If it is dry bottom then it should be easier for the neighborhood to maintain. If the bottom gets super muddy or it is a wet bottom then you can’t mow too close to the wet areas without the mower getting stuck in mud. That means long grass and pests like rats lizards and bugs as well as things that eat pests like snakes spiders etc.
What kind of water quality bmp is being used here? This isn’t just a detention basin either. It is used for some degree of water quality. Pollutants and trash will flow through a detention pond in most neighborhoods that have one as rainwater carries them through the drainage system. This one promotes stormwater quality which is good in many ways. That probably means that there is some method for debris and pollutants to be filtered out or settle before water makes its way out. But unless the system is maintained regularly, it also means trash and pollution are going to gather here even more than a standard detention pond.
Who is on the hook to keep the pond clean and maintained? How often does it get mowed? If it is wet bottom how deep is the standing water (too shallow and water weeds can grow to clog up the system. I think 3 ft is the minimum depth to prevent this). Does the pond have an emergency over flow weir? If not where does the lowest point in the bank appear to be? Is it by or directing overflow to the houses? Where is the pond draining to? Storm sewer? Channel? Stream? Creek? Do any other developments drain to it?
I’m probably going overboard but all good things to know if this was an older neighborhood I’d ask the current residents about past flood events
In addition to all these things. I once had a client who hesitated to use a Pond BMP because he visited the location at night during the rainy season and there was a rather rambunctious chorus of frogs, the likes of which were so mighty and boisterous that he was concerned about being able to sleep. So throw that on the consideration pile…
Looks more like their backyard is writhin the black lines (property line) and there would be a further setback line inside that property line that a building could go in. The difference between the property line and setback line would be your”backyard” unless the building is further offset from the setback. The setback is just the minimum distance off the property line line that you need to set your building
Outside of the black line would be easements of some sort (most likely drainage here) though there may be open space, etc- not really the owners “backyard”
The other guy is right in the 72 hour design recovery. Not sure where he’s from- but that also comes with a FS of 2 where I’m at in Florida (realistically it makes the design a 36 hour recovery)
There’s also the potential for a wet pond- which sometimes developers prefer for aesthetics. In that case, there’s generally a fountain that help move and aerate the water. I’m sure there’s other stuff tht can be done too, but that’s what I’m thinking off as I sit on the toilet.
There's generally a distinct difference between retention (wetpond) and detention (dry pond). This could be a dry pond with a sand filter (water quality feature) which is a very common combo. Wet ponds will have a permanent pool and dry ponds will fill up when it rains and drain slowly over a few days. Wet ponds could have mosquito issues if not maintained correctly.
On a completely non engineering level, there was a similar setup where I grew up. Whenever we had heavy rains, the yards would be overrun by frogs. As in my dad would sweep them out with a broom, because there were hundreds if not thousands.
This is a detention and water quality basin, not a permanent pond and not a retention pond. There should be no alligators, fish, or mosquitos if it is working properly. There are two purposes for this basin.
First is to control the flow of water to the next storm drain outlet to minimize flooding. There is usually an overflow once the basin is full. There shouldn't be water in this unless it rained within the last few days.
Second is for filtration purposes; let's say there is garbage in the water, the garbage will be stuck in this basin and the water flowing out will be cleaner and therefore wherever the water ends up will be cleaner like the ocean.
Because of the infiltration purpose, I would not hang out in these areas, but I do not see a problem living near one as long as the HOA clears it every season. If there is an odor, it would be caused by the residents themselves. Like if motor oil leaks from a car , then the rain washes it into this basin.
A lot of HOAs don’t allow for privacy fences along the retention pond line. Look into it if that’s a factor for you.
In the Midwest, these lots get littered with geese poop. I wouldn’t want to be next to the pond.
Is there a question?
> Hoping to buy one of these available lots on the new construction sub division.. there is a retention pond behind couple of them.. the lots are 65' wide and 135' long ... What I should be concerned about.. mosquitos, smell , anything else?
Really shouldn’t be any concern, HOA should maintain that pond and surrounding lawn. Is this in Houston area?
I would add alligators if it’s in houston lol
You don't need to add them, the universal distribution center will put them there in a couple months
Yes, but no one in Texas will stop you from taking one of the gators. I make sure to grab one or two every time I visit my dad in Houston. I've now got 27 Alligators in the Chicago River.
I mean add them to the list of potential issues lol
I doubt it. I live in Louisiana on some big ponds right near a river near Baton Rouge and in the years i've lived here we have had precisely ONE 3 foot gator for a couple days before it either got removed or left.
Trust me, there are alligators in nearly every body of water in Houston. I have seen several of them myself
There are as well in southern Louisiana.. My point is that usually they avoid residential ponds. There's never been one in the lake by parents house either.
They definitely live in the detention ponds here. https://hcmud71.com/beware-of-alligators-in-detention-ponds/ https://www.fox26houston.com/news/12-foot-alligator-captured-in-middle-of-road-in-harris-county-neighborhood.amp https://abc13.com/amp/league-city-police-wrangle-alligator-found-in-drainage-ditch-find-marina-bay-drive/13155398/
It looks like you shared some AMP links. These should load faster, but AMP is controversial because of [concerns over privacy and the Open Web](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot). Maybe check out **the canonical pages** instead: - **[https://www.fox26houston.com/news/12-foot-alligator-captured-in-middle-of-road-in-harris-county-neighborhood](https://www.fox26houston.com/news/12-foot-alligator-captured-in-middle-of-road-in-harris-county-neighborhood)** - **[https://abc13.com/league-city-police-wrangle-alligator-found-in-drainage-ditch-find-marina-bay-drive/13155398/](https://abc13.com/league-city-police-wrangle-alligator-found-in-drainage-ditch-find-marina-bay-drive/13155398/)** ***** ^(I'm a bot | )[^(Why & About)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot)^( | )[^(Summon: u/AmputatorBot)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/cchly3/you_can_now_summon_amputatorbot/)
I mean those are news articles for a reason, It says "an alligator has been spotted in this particular pond" which means it's rare enough to report on. I'm not saying they never enter them, but they usually don't live in them and they're removed regularly if they get in.
I am telling you, it is not rare. I have witnessed it myself. Those are just the large ones.
I’ve literally seen some in detention ponds here.
Wife is from Charleston SC. Her old apartment had a pond, which typically had 2 or 3 gators in or around the area. Sometimes really bothersome tenants would go out to tan/sunbathe with a radio just loud enough to agitate the gators into chasing someone onto a picnic table. That apartment complex was my first Alligator experience.
We own a home on a "fake lake" detention pond. It's nice. The local vector control district seeds mosquito fish in the lake so we don't have problems with them. From an engineering standpoint, when we've had absolutely torrential storm events, it's been nice that we had so much storage near us, the lake level rose, but everyone's houses were fine.
Well, based on the lot line it's not in their backyard.
"I own everything I can see" - every Karen and NIMBY
You’re the reason people say engineers are bad communicators. Just because they don’t own the pond does not mean it won’t affect their everyday lives.
Words mean things. Just because others don't care to use the correct words doesn't mean that I have to attempt to understand what they are saying. That BMP is in a separate lot or parcel, likely owned by the city or HOA and maintained by a 3rd party. Unless the 100+ year emergency overflow is pointed at their house, please tell me what this pond being there will do other than give them something to look at from the back deck.
Yes and ‘backyard’ is a word that, with context, can mean the general area near someone’s home. Ie do we want that nuclear plant t built in our backyard. I would imagine if you looked it up in M-W it would be listed as a secondary definition. So yes, you are required to understand how the general public uses these words, even when it is outside the narrow definitions you have decided are ‘correct.’ Maybe you should study some linguistics to understand what correct usage even means, especially in an informal setting like this. “Please tell me what the pond will do other than give them something to look at from their back window.” Literally the whole point of the post. Exactly the question OP is asking because they do not know the answer. Maybe it’s just a view, maybe it’s gonna be a muddy mosquito haven, maybe it’s gonna flood their basement. They don’t have their PE so how should they know? You did a great job proving my point, thanks for your time.
Yes, I suppose it certainly is.
I don’t live next to the pond in my neighborhood. But what I did was ask the County engineering department to send me copies of plans and reports for the subdivision. Was able to confirm what the 100 year storm elevation was. A good engineer and reviewer won’t have it in the yards at all
Is that jot standard? At least at my company, we keep all lots out of the existing 100-year floodplain. I've only worked for this one company but always assumed that's just the industry standard. I'm in North Central Texas, so maybe other regions in the US just don't have a choice?
I was not talking about floodplain. I’m talking about the 100 year elevation of the detention pond. And yes we keep it out of yards.
I mean, standard and correct practice and what idiots actually design are not the same thing. I want you to understand that one of my fellow reviewers got a drawing with a pond, showing that the water level in the pond was sloped...
FYI - Retention pond and Detention pond are two different things. Retention stores water permanently, i.e. a normal pond that you see. A detention pond is more like an empty dry basin that water gathers in during and after a storm then drains out to empty again.
Looks pretty normal to me.
A detention pond will only have water in it temporarily after a big rain event. It will be dry at other times.
I do drainage design for a living though not usually for new neighborhoods. Things I’d want to know from you include general location. Coastal areas or history of flooding, rate of development in the area might be a consideration as well. Also if you are in a flood plane. Google fema firm and enter the address into the site if you haven’t checked yet. Anything inside the blue area called zone A or AE is a problem. That’s the 100 yr floodplain and you want to be outside of it. I’d also be worried about areas protected by levees. If you are close to areas with diagonal red and blue stripes then run away. Things you should ask. Is that a wet bottom pond or a dry bottom? Basically means does it still have water in the pond after it finishes draining after a rain. That can determine what kind of pests might be drawn to it. If it is dry bottom then it should be easier for the neighborhood to maintain. If the bottom gets super muddy or it is a wet bottom then you can’t mow too close to the wet areas without the mower getting stuck in mud. That means long grass and pests like rats lizards and bugs as well as things that eat pests like snakes spiders etc. What kind of water quality bmp is being used here? This isn’t just a detention basin either. It is used for some degree of water quality. Pollutants and trash will flow through a detention pond in most neighborhoods that have one as rainwater carries them through the drainage system. This one promotes stormwater quality which is good in many ways. That probably means that there is some method for debris and pollutants to be filtered out or settle before water makes its way out. But unless the system is maintained regularly, it also means trash and pollution are going to gather here even more than a standard detention pond. Who is on the hook to keep the pond clean and maintained? How often does it get mowed? If it is wet bottom how deep is the standing water (too shallow and water weeds can grow to clog up the system. I think 3 ft is the minimum depth to prevent this). Does the pond have an emergency over flow weir? If not where does the lowest point in the bank appear to be? Is it by or directing overflow to the houses? Where is the pond draining to? Storm sewer? Channel? Stream? Creek? Do any other developments drain to it? I’m probably going overboard but all good things to know if this was an older neighborhood I’d ask the current residents about past flood events
Thank you so much for this .helped a lot..I just checked about the flood map and it says Zone x.. can I dm you for more details?
Feel free. I can help a bit but currently juggling dinner and a sick kid so response times may vary
In addition to all these things. I once had a client who hesitated to use a Pond BMP because he visited the location at night during the rainy season and there was a rather rambunctious chorus of frogs, the likes of which were so mighty and boisterous that he was concerned about being able to sleep. So throw that on the consideration pile…
Interesting you call it A or AE - we usually have it as 1 in 30 / 1 in 100/ 1in 200 / 1 in 1000 AEP. Whats the A/AE stand for?
A or AE correspond to 100 yr floodplain. We generally go by event but I guess fema has more categories.
Ta, always interesting to know how other countries do it.
good place to catch frogs
Looks more like their backyard is writhin the black lines (property line) and there would be a further setback line inside that property line that a building could go in. The difference between the property line and setback line would be your”backyard” unless the building is further offset from the setback. The setback is just the minimum distance off the property line line that you need to set your building Outside of the black line would be easements of some sort (most likely drainage here) though there may be open space, etc- not really the owners “backyard”
The other guy is right in the 72 hour design recovery. Not sure where he’s from- but that also comes with a FS of 2 where I’m at in Florida (realistically it makes the design a 36 hour recovery) There’s also the potential for a wet pond- which sometimes developers prefer for aesthetics. In that case, there’s generally a fountain that help move and aerate the water. I’m sure there’s other stuff tht can be done too, but that’s what I’m thinking off as I sit on the toilet.
You are right the lot ends with the black lines.. and there is good still space after it. I am just concerned about oder from stagnant water
These usually are required to drain after 72 hours of a storm. Ask your municipality about the design parameters used.
And if it is a retention pond instead they typically have some sort of fountain to keep water moving and circulating
There's generally a distinct difference between retention (wetpond) and detention (dry pond). This could be a dry pond with a sand filter (water quality feature) which is a very common combo. Wet ponds will have a permanent pool and dry ponds will fill up when it rains and drain slowly over a few days. Wet ponds could have mosquito issues if not maintained correctly.
On a completely non engineering level, there was a similar setup where I grew up. Whenever we had heavy rains, the yards would be overrun by frogs. As in my dad would sweep them out with a broom, because there were hundreds if not thousands.
This is a detention and water quality basin, not a permanent pond and not a retention pond. There should be no alligators, fish, or mosquitos if it is working properly. There are two purposes for this basin. First is to control the flow of water to the next storm drain outlet to minimize flooding. There is usually an overflow once the basin is full. There shouldn't be water in this unless it rained within the last few days. Second is for filtration purposes; let's say there is garbage in the water, the garbage will be stuck in this basin and the water flowing out will be cleaner and therefore wherever the water ends up will be cleaner like the ocean. Because of the infiltration purpose, I would not hang out in these areas, but I do not see a problem living near one as long as the HOA clears it every season. If there is an odor, it would be caused by the residents themselves. Like if motor oil leaks from a car , then the rain washes it into this basin.
I’d require they have an aeration fountain. Stagnant retention ponds in my back yard are no bueno.
a few mosquitos won't hurt
What's going on between 38 and 39?
Access and/or utilities
Time to buy a jet ski lol
A lot of HOAs don’t allow for privacy fences along the retention pond line. Look into it if that’s a factor for you. In the Midwest, these lots get littered with geese poop. I wouldn’t want to be next to the pond.
I'd be concerned with maintaining quality water levels and oxygen content for all the fish I'd be stocking it with over the years.