Retention Ponds

​The Schuyler County SWCD has constructed sixteen retention ponds over the last three years. Retention ponds are constructed in the upper sub-watersheds of areas with a history of flooding issues. The retention ponds retain a permanent freeboard in order to help store rainfall. These structures help to reduce the peak flow of our high intensity short duration storms that we have been experiencing on a regular basis. The Schuyler County SWCD constructs these projects with its own equipment and highly skilled equipment operators. All costs of the project are obtained through competitive grant funding by the Schuyler County SWCD. We firmly believe that retention ponds are one of the best bang for your buck conservation practices that we can install to help reduce sediment and nutrients from reaching our waterbodies, while at the same time protecting millions of dollars of public and private infrastructure.
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