Quick answer: Surface water management means controlling where rain goes after it lands and what it carries with it. For property owners it comes down to three jobs: keep drainage structures clear and working, keep nutrients and sediment out of the water, and keep water from sitting long enough to breed mosquitoes.
What is surface water, and why manage it?
Surface water is the water you can see: ponds, lakes, streams, and the stormwater that runs across roofs, pavement and lawns after rain. As it moves, runoff picks up fertilizer, soil, leaves, pet waste and oil, and delivers them to the nearest basin, pond or bay.
How does drainage work on Long Island?
Much of Long Island's stormwater is directed to recharge basins, often called sumps, where it soaks through sandy soil back into the aquifer. Communities and commercial sites also rely on retention ponds, swales, dry wells and catch basins. These systems only work when they are maintained. Sediment and overgrown vegetation reduce how much water a basin can hold and how fast it drains.
What maintenance do basins and swales need?
- Keep inlets, outlets and grates clear of debris
- Manage vegetation so it stabilizes banks without choking the basin
- Remove invasive plants such as phragmites before they take over
- Watch for erosion and bare soil on slopes
- Inspect after major storms
- Keep maintenance records, which many HOAs and commercial sites are required to have
How do I keep nutrients out of the water?
- Leave an unfertilized, unmowed buffer strip along ponds and shorelines
- Keep fertilizer, clippings and leaves off pavement and out of storm drains
- Do not fertilize before heavy rain
- Direct downspouts onto lawn or planted areas, not driveways
- Stabilize bare soil quickly
How does water management affect mosquitoes?
Directly. A basin, clogged swale or low spot that holds stagnant water for more than several days can produce mosquitoes. Restoring drainage is the first fix. Where water is meant to stay, such as a retention pond, vegetation management and larvicides can keep mosquito breeding down.
Who is responsible?
On private land, generally the owner: the homeowner, the HOA or the commercial property owner. A scheduled program that covers vegetation, inspections and mosquito prevention costs less than restoring a failed basin.
Related: Pond weed and algae management | Mosquito control | Green industry BMPs
This article is general information. Drainage structures can be subject to town, county and state requirements. Pesticides must always be applied according to the product label and New York regulations.