A detention ponds is best management practice (BMP) land area that is designed to temporarily hold a set amount of water while slowly draining to another location. They are also referred to as "dry ponds," "holding ponds," "dry retention basins" and "dry basins." Ultimately, detention ponds are designed for flood control when large amounts of rain could cause flash flooding if not dealt with properly.
Detention ponds are common in the midwest and southern states where rainstorms may be quick and heavy and land is relatively inexpensive. However, in Southern California land is extremely expensive and purchasing acres of land to serve as a settling basin for storm water is an impossible solution. The cost of such a stormwater management solution would be astronomical.
