Flood advocates urge Escambia to tighten pond 'freeboard' rules for closed basins

Flood‑risk advocates told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 6 that a proposed change to the county’s stormwater rules would expose surrounding properties to greater flood risk by allowing retention ponds in closed basins with only a six‑inch freeboard.

Chris Kurb, speaking for Flood Defenders, said federal and state design guidance calls for far larger design storms and freeboard when a pond has no positive outfall. He urged the county to adopt a closed‑basin standard based on a 100‑year, 7‑day storm or comparable engineering criteria rather than the six‑inch figure proposed. Kurb warned that acceptance of private ponds into the county system under a low freeboard standard would increase long‑term liability for taxpayers.

Resident Mary Kanopka echoed the concern, describing a local pond that lacks an outfall and overflows into adjacent properties. Both asked the county to require positive outfalls for ponds in enclosed basins and to update drainage impact fees to fund remediation and outfall construction.

County planning staff included the stormwater item in the Growth Management consent agenda, which passed. Commissioners directed staff to proceed with the consent agenda items but did not adopt an immediate ordinance change at the Feb. 6 meeting; public comments indicate local advocates want a technical review and possible ordinance revision before new ponds are accepted into county maintenance.

Kurb said he would continue to press the county at upcoming public hearings and planning‑board meetings to adopt higher technical standards for closed‑basin pond design and to consider funding mechanisms for outfall construction.