Living next to pond scum

This problem really does stink.

Two residents spoke at the Tara Preserve Community Development District meeting Oct. 27 to protest the odor being created by pond scum.

Dave Woodhouse, who lives off of Tara Boulevard, said the pond is covered in algae.

“It’s almost like a cesspool," he said. 

Jeff Whaley with Aquatic Systems, the aquatics management company, said increased levels of algae have been detected in the community’s ponds. He said it wasn't uncommon but did need attention.

However, he had checked on Pond 46, the pond Woodhouse specified, and was not sure it was a fixable issue.

“It’s a design and function issue,” he said.

The pond is shallow and located near a wetland so the native floating weed vegetation from the wetland gets flushed into the pond. Because of the additional greens, the water has high levels of nutrients and low levels of oxygen. It is too shallow to aerate.

“It looks like sump to me,” he said. “We have a lack of options.”

The board agreed the pond should be drained and filled. Because it was part of a drainage system that had to be approved by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), filling it with dirt would also have to be approved.

Supervisor Michael Dyer lives near the pond.

“That pond is so small, you can’t do anything,” he said. “It’s a source of mosquitoes and scum.”

The pond is a catch area for drainage from Tara Boulevard. Dyer said there was another pond nearby that could connect to the street and eliminate the need for Pond 46.

Aquatics Systems was contracted about two years ago to manage the Tara Preserve community’s system of ponds and waterways.

Just because a pond is shallow or has some vegetation doesn’t mean it is dysfunctional. Some ponds remain shallow or empty throughout the year and act as a catch-all for rainy seasons to prevent flooding. Some residents get frustrated with the low water level, Supervisor Beth Bond said.