PONDS
Kiawah has 122 stormwater ponds that pass water through Kiawah Island Community Association ’ s ( KICA ) drainage systems and eventually off the Island . The health of these ponds is monitored by the KICA ’ s Lake Management Department , and , since 1987 , the department has monitored water quality ( Hill , 2021 ). Currently 26 ponds are tested each week for temperature , conductivity , salinity , depth , pH , and dissolved oxygen . South Carolina ’ s Department of Natural Resources is also contracted to seasonally monitor for toxic algae and other phytoplankton as well as to monitor for fecal bacteria twice a year . At least 21 scientific research studies of these ponds have been published since the first comprehensive review found in the 1975 Environmental Inventory of Kiawah Island . These cover topics such as ecotoxicology , algal blooms , and phytoplankton levels .
Our ponds are home to a wide variety of fish , invertebrates , wading birds / waterfowl , snakes and alligators and are important to the island ’ s biodiversity and ecological health . Possible threats to the ecological health of the ponds include saltwater inundation , stormwater runoff , and eutrophication ( excessive richness of nutrients ).
It is important to create a baseline set of scientific measurements for key ecological indicators found in this habitat and to monitor changes over time so that potential issues can be addressed and mitigated . The Conservancy plans to work with community entities to ensure the ecological health of our ponds .
Robert Hill
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