Cherry Street Park
History
Storm water pond construction began in the late 1990's and is designed for flood control protection and the reduction of pollutants contained in storm water runoff. It is an environmental educational tool that is used to increase the awareness of the importance for flood control and water quality improvement.
Sponsored by the City of Plant City and the Alafia River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Components of the Storm Water Pond Teaching Facility
- Storm water Canal - the east side canal drains and collects storm water runoff from hundreds of acres within the City of Plant City. This storm water pond was introduced at a key point in the canal to relieve upstream flooding in heavy rain events and to allow treatment of the storm water to improve it’s quality for the environment.
- Diversion Dam - This structure helps to divert the storm water runoff into the pond for flood control and water quality improvement.
- Littoral Shelf - This man-made wetland zone contains beneficial wetland plants. These plants help to treat the storm water and improve water quality through nutrient and heavy metal uptake as well as provide a wildlife habitat.
- Skimmer-Weir-Outfall - Treated storm water exits the pond at the outfall. The wooden structure is called a skimmer, which prevents floating debris from leaving the pond. A concrete weir under the bridge controls pond water level. The rocks, called rip rap, prevent erosion of soils from the outfall stream.
Outfall from the pond makes it's way north through the McIntosh Wetlands Restoration Project north of Plant City and eventually into the Hillsborough River.
