Benefits of Fish Stocking in your Community by Allstate Resource Management
Tags: Lake Management Articles, Management News
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Fountains are a great way to add visual appeal to the landscape and the stirring water is relaxing and tranquil to hear. In addition to their aesthetic qualities, fountains also add a great deal of oxygen into the pond as the tiny droplets make contact with the air and fall back into the pond. But do pond water fountains provide enough aeration? Similar to choosing an aeration system, determining if a fountain is right for your pond will depend on the depth, shape, and size.
Subsurface aeration, like the Pond Aeration Systems, are recommended for deeper ponds to provide complete circulation. For these units, the air is pushed through diffuser plates positioned at the bottom of the pond. As the air bubbles rise, oxygenated water from the surface moves to the bottom, creating a healthy aerobic pond ecosystem.
Allstate Resource Management can add beauty and function to your waterways. Our experts will design the ideal fountain or aeration system for your lake or pond. Floating fountains with decorative spray patterns help to beautify highly visible waterways while assisting nature with many biological benefits. Increased dissolved oxygen levels help to sustain fish populations, assist in controlling undesirable bacteria, and improve the overall health of a waterway system. Bottom diffuser aeration systems help to speed the decomposition of organic sediments, improve circulation, and reduce the potential for fish kills in a water-body.
The answer may be easier to explain by comparing a fountain that is a few years old with an automobile that has been driven for 100,000 miles. If you put new tires that are rated for 50,000 miles on an older car which has worn shock absorbers, soft springs, and is out of alignment, the tires may only last for 25,000 miles.
A similar set of circumstances that occur after a fountain has been in operation for a few years reduce the life of a new bulb in the same manner. The copper inside the power cables, control panel components (circuit breakers, contactors), wire connections, the light sockets that have become corroded from moisture, no longer conduct a consistent voltage to the bulb. As a result, a bulb that would typically last 3 years under ideal or “new” circumstances may afford only a year of life.
Fountains are often taken for granted and become just part of the horizon, rather than something that is used on a daily basis like your car. These fountains are in operation an average of 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the lights operating about a third of that time. Accelerating the deterioration process is the fact that they are submerged underwater 24/7, and exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays everyday.
Replacing the bulbs as well as performing scheduled maintenance go a long way with upkeeping an older fountain.
Allstate Resource Management
6900 SW 21 Ct. Building 9
Davie, Florida 33317
954-382-9766
Tags: Lake Management Articles, Management News
This is one of the most often asked questions applicators get and is also one of the trickier ones to answer. The hard part of this question is that there are so many variables to take into account when trying to answer it. Are we dealing with one kind of weed or multiple ones? Different ones may require separate treatments. Some of those treatments may not be compatible with each other which means they must be done on different visits. How bad is the problem? If the entire lake is affected, we need to treat it in portions over time so we don’t deplete the dissolved oxygen.
Which herbicide is effective on the weeds you have? Some work quickly, where as others take time to do the job, and not all herbicides work on every kind of plant. What is the weather? Forecasted rains can wash off or dilute treatments, forcing work to be postponed. These are just a few of the things we need to consider before we can even start to give a client an answer and that is just the beginning of the process. The EPA approved products we apply to lakes do not make the weeds magically disappear. Once they begin to die, most will float to the surface and collect in mats. Then water chemistry, weather, and lake circulation controls how long it takes for them to break down and sink.
Sometimes lakes will require follow up treatments to take care of re-growth, or dense pockets of plants. An experienced lake management company can give you an estimate of how long it will take to start to see results but a definite answer can be difficult. Understand that there is a customized plan being implemented and that your manager is working to remedy the problem. If you ever have any specific questions about your lake and its care, the staff at Allstate Resource Management is here to answer them and provide you with the information you need.
Author: Stephen Montgomery, Allstate Resource Management
Tags: Lake Management Articles, Management News
Many homeowners in South Florida have properties that are adjacent to mitigation areas but very few have an understanding as to what they are or why they are there. This article will answer some of these questions and give you a better understanding about the role mitigation sites play in your community.
Homeowners have all sorts of names for the planted areas by their homes. Some call them preserves, some call them swamps, some call them natural areas but they all share a common origin and purpose. Whether they are full of trees or stretches of plants along a lake shoreline, they are all what are known as mitigation. Mitigation is an attempt to lessen or alleviate the environmental impact of development and construction in our area. When a developer plans to build a community the location must first be surveyed to determine if important natural resources and sensitive areas will be disturbed due to the project. Before any construction can begin, the developer must submit a plan to create and maintain areas that will replace what is lost when the development is built. Once the plan is approved, a permit is issued for the mitigation and the project can begin. Without the mitigation, your neighborhood could not even exist. When the builder turns the property over to a homeowners association, the association then assumes the responsibility for the mitigation and its care.
There are three basic kinds of mitigation areas: wetland preserves, upland preserves and littoral zones. Wetland preserves are lower lying areas that are partly to completely flooded most of the year and are largely comprised of aquatic plants and grasses, and may have tree islands or deep water pools. Upland preserves are wooded areas that sit at higher elevations and tend to have drier soils and are usually comprised of more trees and shrubs. Littoral zones are submersed shelves that run around the perimeter of lakes and are planted with a variety of plants that can grow in flooded conditions.
Quarterly inspections and status reports are required by the agency that issued the mitigation permit for your community. These are to ensure that the site lives up to its required environmental obligation and that it complies with agency standards. Regular maintenance visits, by trained and licensed personnel, are necessary to keep mitigation areas in compliance. In order to be in compliance the areas must be covered by the proper percentage of beneficial, native plants and be within the acceptable limit of invasive, exotic plants.
Mitigation sites are designed to replace a natural ecosystem and are not meant to be perfectly manicured landscapes. Homeowners should never take it upon themselves to remove plants, trim or cut plants or add plants to mitigation areas. Remember, these areas are permitted and unapproved alterations could result in complications or fines, just like any other permit you have when you do work on your house. Homeowners should also be sure that their landscapers do not dump debris such as palm fronds, hedge trimmings and grass clippings into the mitigation by their homes. All mitigation is monitored for compliance. When the standards set by the oversight agency are not met, the entity responsible for the upkeep of the site may be financially liable to bring the site back into compliance.
Many homeowners don’t realize the benefits of these re-created natural areas. They see them as a burden with no redeeming qualities but there are several that are commonly overlooked. These areas provide habitat to several native species, some of which are threatened or even endangered. In addition to habitat for animals mitigation provides a pathway to replenish the aquifers that supply the drinking water here in South Florida. As more and more development occurs, we are essentially “capping” our water supply’s recharge mechanism with concrete and asphalt. Increased population creates increased demand for water. At the same time our system’s ability to provide the needed water is being reduced. Wetlands and preserves act like a sponge to capture water that would normally be lost to storm drains and funnels it into our depleted aquifers. This sponge affect also aids in flood prevention. Wetlands can hold a considerable amount of storm flow and alleviate your community’s storm water drainage system. Littoral plantings around your lake also help absorb nutrient runoff. Florida lawns don’t get green by themselves. We use a lot of fertilizer and when the rains come and the grounds get soaked, some of that fertilizer ends up in our lakes. This then feeds algae in the lakes and creates those unpleasant mats of floating, green algae around the water body. The bands of wetland plants around the shoreline act as a buffer and absorb some of the nutrient runoff as it enters the water.
Our staff at Allstate realizes that your mitigation maintenance is an important responsibility. We hope that this has shed some light on the questions you may have. One of our goals in our pledge to service to you is educating the homeowners and helping everyone understand the value of the aquatic resources within your community. If we can provide any further guidance or assistance please feel free to call our office.
By: Stephen Montgomery
Allstate Resource Management
6900 SW 21st Court, Building #9
Davie, Florida 33317
Phone: (954) 382-9766
Fax: (954) 382-9770
Tags: Common Area Issues, Lake Management Articles, Management News
Many South Florida homeowners are not aware of the critical role their community lakes play in managing stormwater and mitigating local area flooding. With the start of this year’s hurricane season around the corner, now is the time to make sure that our lakes and waterways are ready to deal with whatever nature throws at us. The problem of flooding is a real issue here because our homes are built on relatively flat, low-lying ground. The thin layer of soil under our feet can become saturated quickly, and sits on a cap of coral rock that only allows for a slow flow of water down to the aquifers below. This, combined with the possibility of large amounts of precipitation in short periods of time creates conditions for major flooding in our urban areas. When developers create residential communities and commercial areas, they need to take into account how much water needs to be stored or moved in order to prevent the project from flooding during major rain events. Through careful planning and design, they route stormwater away from our homes and into a system of lakes and canals. The size and number of lakes in our communities are a result of those calculations. Lakes are dug to create a storage area for water runoff from storms. The fill dug from the lakes is then used to raise the elevation of the homes around them. Using a system of drains and pipes the water is directed from the
developed areas down into the lakes. Some community lakes use weirs or culverts to connect them to the municipal canal system. This allows them to move excess water off the property once they reach a certain level. The system works well but requires regular maintenance in order to ensure that it works properly when needed. Scheduled inspections of storm drains and weirs is important to keep the water moving off our streets and properties efficiently. These structures accumulate silt and debris, and will occasionally need to be cleaned out. The lakes
themselves also need to be regularly inspected and maintained
Even though they are primarily man-made storm water basins, they do evolve and become living ecosystems like naturally occurring waterbodies. Aquatic vegetation begins to grow in all lakes eventually, and much like our lawns, require regular attention in order to avoid become overgrown. Exotic species such as hydrilla, hygrophila, and rotala grow quickly and can spread throughout acres of lake in a matter of months or less. Such infestations are not only unsightly, but all those weeds are filling up the lake and taking up space meant to hold stormwater runoff. Floating weeds such as water lettuce and water hyacinth can rapidly cover a lake surface, clogging and even damaging weirs and other outflows. Excessive growth of vegetation near culverts and drain pipes can slow the flow of stormwater both into and out of the lake, causing backups of the system. The longer these plants are left to grow unmanaged, the harder the problem is to get under control and the longer it will take. Large scale infestations need to be treated in stages with regulated wait times between treatments. This is done in order to not deplete the dissolved oxygen in the whole lake. The other problem with established infestations is that the plants have had time to mature and grow extensive roots systems. These root systems allow the plants to re-grow quickly after initial treatments and quite frequently require multiple follow up treatments to bring under control. Even once treated, the herbicides take time to work and the plants take time to decompose and settle to the bottom. Unfortunately, tropical storm events do not wait until conditions are best suited to deal with the results. The best way to make sure your community is protected is to be proactive and maintain your system regularly. Regular scheduled maintenance ensures that aquatic vegetation is kept at levels that don’t compromise your stormwater system and can potentially avoid costly repairs to its components. Hurricane season corresponds with the time of year when these plants grow and spread the fastest due to the long, sunny days. We have learned that being prepared for hurricane season means taking precautions before the storm arrives. That wisdom should also definitely apply to our first line of defense against flood damage in our communities.
Author: Stephen Montgomery / Senior Biologist
Allstate Resource Management
Allstate Resource Management has over 25 years of experience in maintaining the health of lakes, ponds, wetlands, and stormwater systems. We have continued since our inception to be the leader in resource management. Our services include lake management, wetland management, stormwater drain cleaning and maintenance, erosion control, fish stocking, native plantings, debris removal, water quality, aquatic pest control, and upland management. All of our technicians are thoroughly trained and certified in order to meet the strict standards imposed by governmental agencies. This ensures that your property will be treated by only the most competent individuals who are proud of the services we render.
In addition to providing a healthy habitat, we specialize in the installation and maintenance of beautiful color lit fountains, bringing beauty and enjoyment to any lake or pond.
We also offer support services for property managers and HOA’s including educational presentations and CEU programs. Our approved courses offer continuing education credit to CAMs.
Tags: Management News, Members Articles
by AllState Resource Management
When developers create residential communities and commercial areas, they need to take into account how much water needs to be stored or moved in order to prevent the project from flooding during major rain events. Through careful planning and design, they route stormwater away from our homes and into a system of lakes and canals. The size and number of lakes in our communities are a result of those calculations. Lakes are dug to create a storage area for water runoff from storms. The fill dug from the lakes is then used to raise the elevation of the homes around them. 
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