Detention / Retention Pond Inspection Logger
Stormwater pond BMP inspection — inlets, outlet structure, embankment, sediment, vegetation and mosquito issues; offline log with GPS export.
New stormwater pond inspection
Inspect at least annually and after large storms; sediment surveys every 3–5 years to schedule dredging before capacity is lost.
Field guide: Detention / Retention Pond Inspection Logger
A stormwater pond is an engineered device pretending to be a landscape feature — and it quietly stops working when the orifice clogs, the forebay fills, or a dry pond starts holding water. This logger checks the facility the way an MS4 or HOA inspection should: hydraulic path first (inlets → forebay → outlet riser → emergency spillway), then the embankment as a small dam (because legally and physically, that's what it is), then sediment and vegetation as capacity and water-quality issues.
Two findings carry failure-risk weight: a clogged primary outlet (the next storm goes to the emergency spillway, or over the berm) and an obstructed emergency spillway (the next big storm has nowhere designed to go). Standing water in a dry detention pond is the classic sign the low-flow orifice has been clogged for weeks — and the source of most mosquito complaints attributed to 'the pond' generally being 'the clog'.
Field tips
- Visit within 48 hours after a big storm once a year — drawdown time is the single best functional test a visual inspection can capture.
- The forebay is sacrificial by design: cleaning it is cheap; dredging the main pool because the forebay was ignored is not.
- Probe the permanent pool depth at the same three spots each survey; sediment accumulation rate predicts the dredge year budget needs.
Records are stored only in this browser (localStorage) — export regularly. This tool aids field documentation; it does not replace your agency's official inspection procedures or engineering judgment.
Detention / Retention Pond Inspection Logger — Stormwater pond BMP inspection — inlets, outlet structure, embankment, sediment, vegetation and mosquito issues; offline log with GPS export. Free, offline-first and GPS-aware: open it on any phone, log in seconds, and hand your GIS team clean GeoJSON.
About Detention / Retention Pond Inspection Logger
A stormwater pond is an engineered device pretending to be a landscape feature — and it quietly stops working when the orifice clogs, the forebay fills, or a dry pond starts holding water. This logger checks the facility the way an MS4 or HOA inspection should: hydraulic path first (inlets → forebay → outlet riser → emergency spillway), then the embankment as a small dam (because legally and physically, that's what it is), then sediment and vegetation as capacity and water-quality issues.
How to use Detention / Retention Pond Inspection Logger
- 1Enter the facility id and tap 📍 GPS to pin the stormwater pond's exact location (or type coordinates).
- 2Work through the stormwater pond checklist — every field matches what a real inspection program records.
- 3Pick a condition on the Functioning / Routine maintenance / Function impaired / Failure risk ⚠ scale; actionable findings are tallied automatically.
- 4Add notes and log the inspection — it saves instantly to your device, even with zero signal.
- 5Export the round as CSV for your asset system, GeoJSON for the GIS, or print a clean report.
Why use Detention / Retention Pond Inspection Logger?
- ✓100% free, no sign-up — built for crews, not per-seat licences
- ✓Offline-first: records save to your device instantly and survive dead zones
- ✓One-tap GPS tagging with accuracy capture on every record
- ✓Exports CSV for asset systems, GeoJSON for GIS, and print-ready reports
- ✓Checklist and guidance aligned with EPA
Frequently asked questions
How fast should a detention pond drain after a storm?+
By design, most dry detention basins draw down in 24–72 hours, set by the low-flow orifice. Faster suggests an eroded/enlarged orifice or short-circuiting; slower (or permanent puddling) means clogging or compacted soils. Logging drawdown observations after storms is the cheapest function test available.
When does sediment actually require dredging?+
Capacity drives it: most programs plan removal when sediment occupies 25–50% of the water-quality volume or the forebay is full. Catching it at the forebay stage is dramatically cheaper — forebay cleanout is an excavator day; main-pool dredging involves dewatering, hauling and sometimes disposal testing.
Why treat the embankment like a dam?+
Because hydraulically it is one — many pond berms impound enough volume to flood downstream property on failure, and some meet state dam-safety jurisdiction thresholds. Burrows, woody roots, seepage and spillway obstruction are dam failure modes in miniature, hence their prominence on this checklist.
Who is responsible for pond maintenance — HOA or city?+
It varies by development agreement: many ponds are privately owned (HOA) with municipal right-of-entry, while others were dedicated to the city. The maintenance log matters either way — MS4 permits increasingly require documented BMP inspections regardless of ownership, and this export is exactly that documentation.
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