Patent Publication Number: US-11028568-B1

Title: Detention pond method

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to the method of minimizing flooding by the use of detention ponds. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A detention pond is an area excavated near river, steam stream, or bayous to protect against areas flooding, generally in urban areas. Detention ponds receive potentially flooding waters and hold it for release at a predetermined rate. Detention ponds are designed to release all captured runoff over time, and do not allow for permanent pooling of water. This is generally done with a simple pipe connecting the bottom of the detention pond to the river, stream, or bayou or in other words with a drain-pipe. 
     The depth of the detention pond is set by the elevation of the water in the river, stream, or bayou during normal flow or the average flow during a non-flooding event. Water typically enters a detention pond when the river, stream, or bayou is reaching or near flood stage and simply flows over a weir to fill the detention pond. 
     The volume of the detention pond is a function the surface area of how much expensive real estate you buy times the depth of the detention pond. This land is called “expensive” as a detention pond would only be constructed in a developed area which you want to protect, and developed land is expensive. 
     Detention ponds are frequently used in slightly sloping urban areas with the U.S. Gulf Coast and Houston, Tex. in particular being an example. With the volume of rainfall in Houston and the low grade to the slope, many areas are subject to flooding, and have been since urbanization happened in the 19 th  century (if not before). Increasing the channel size and detention ponds have been tried for many years with the present result being that the existing detention ponds are over-run with flood waters in a heavy rain. The resulting use of conventional detention ponds has not solved the problem and massive flooding damage continues to happen in Houston. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of this invention is to provide a greater detention pond capacity without having to buy more real estate. 
     A second object of this invention is to utilize the natural slope of the geographic area to increase the depth of a detention pond and thereby increase the capacity of the detention pond. 
     A third objective of this invention is to interconnect the drain-pipes of detention ponds to provide a greater detention pond capacity. 
     Another objective of this invention is to allow detention ponds to be utilized for other purposes when flooding is not expected. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the general area of a detention pond. 
         FIG. 2  is taken along lines “ 2 - 2 ” of  FIG. 1  and shows a section through the drain-pipe, 
         FIG. 3  is taken along lines “ 3 - 3 ” of  FIG. 1  and shows a section through the weir and flooding waters entering the detention pond. 
         FIG. 4  is taken along lines “ 4 - 4 ” of  FIG. 1  looking from the river, stream, or bayou and shows the weir inlet to the detention pond and the drain-pipe outlet from the detention pond. 
         FIG. 5  is taken along lines “ 4 - 4 ” of  FIG. 1  and is the same view a  FIG. 4  except showing an exaggerated slope in the ground level. 
         FIG. 6  a similar view to what was shown in  FIG. 5 , but the scale reduced some to show two detention ponds along a river, stream, or bayou. 
         FIG. 7  is a similar view to  FIG. 6 , two detention ponds are shown with the upstream detention pond taking advantage of the capacity increase of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a reduced scale view of  FIG. 7  showing three detention ponds with two of them taking advantage of the capacity increase of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a similar view to  FIG. 7 , with a valve added in the drain-pipe to allow water to be retained within the detention pond for recreational or other purposes in non-rainy seasons. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a detention pond area  20  showing a river, stream, or bayou  22  having a bottom  24 , sides  26  and  28 , and water  30  flowing in the river, stream, or bayou. The water flowing in the river, stream, or bayou is of an elevation  32  in this figure. The detention pond  40  has a bottom  42 , sides  44 ,  46 ,  48 , and  50  (not seen), a weir  52  to direct near flooding waters to be detained into the detention pond  40  and a drain-pipe  54  to slowly release the detained waters back into the river, stream, or bayou  22 . Ground level  56  is shown around the river, stream, or bayou and detention pond. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2  taken along lines “ 2 - 2 ” of  FIG. 1 , drain-pipe  54  is shown to connect the bottom  42  of the detention pond  40  with the river, stream, or bayou  22  above the elevation  32  of the waters  30  during the normal flow of the river, stream, or bayou. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3  taken along lines “ 3 - 3 ” of  FIG. 1 , the elevation  60  of the water  30  in the river, stream, or bayou  22  is at flood stage and a portion of the water  62  is following across the weir  52  into the detention pond  40   
     Referring now to  FIG. 4  taken along lines “ 4 - 4 ” of  FIG. 1  from within the river, stream, or bayou  22  showing the weir  52  being relatively high on the river, stream, or bayou bank and the drain-pipe  54  being relatively low but above the normal flowing level  32  of the river, stream, or bayou  22 . It should be noted here that the perception is that the detention pond  48 , river, stream, or bayou  22 , and the ground level  56  are generally perceived as being level. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5  taken along lines “4-4” of  FIG. 1  and is the same view a  FIG. 4  except showing a slope in the ground level elevation  56 . Although the slope is exaggerated for understanding, the slope always exists or the river, stream, or bayous would not flow. The bottom  42  of the detention pond  40  is shown level as within the relatively small area of the detention pond. It will likely be constructed flat. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6  a similar view to what was shown in  FIG. 5  is shown, but the scale reduced some to show two detention ponds  70  and  72  along river, stream, or bayou  22 . They are shown as being identical to show the two drain-pipes  74  and  76  being at different elevations. This is how two detention ponds would be constructed without the benefits of the present invention. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , detention pond  80  along river, stream, or bayou  22  is identical to detention pond  70  in  FIG. 6 , however, the elevation of drain-pipe  86  in detention pond  82  is at the same elevation as drain-pipe  84  in detention pond  80  and is connected to drain-pipe  84  by interconnecting pipe  88 . This allows detention pond  82  to be dug to the same actual elevation as detention pond  80 , or in other words deeper by the amount of the geographic slope from the area of detention pond  82  to the area of detention pond  80 . Consider that the depth of detention pond  80  is ten feet deep and the geographic area around detention pond  82  is five feet higher. This means that detention pond can be dug five feet deeper and therefore increase its capacity by fifty percent. 
     If this process were repeated further upstream, the next detention pond at a five foot higher elevation can be dug ten feet deeper to thirty feet, giving it a one hundred percent increase in capacity. Alternately the process can be repeated downstream with the only limit ultimately being the ocean level. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , detention pond  100  is the same as detention pond  80 ,  70 , and  40  in  FIGS. 7, 6, and 5  respectively. Detention ponds  102  and  104  are the same as the deeper detention pond  82  in  FIG. 7 . Drain-pipes  106 ,  108 , and  110  are in detention ponds  100 ,  102 , and  104  respectively. Interconnecting pipe  112  connects drain-pipes  106  and  108  similarly as interconnecting pipe  88  connected drain-pipes  84  and  86  in  FIG. 7  and is similarly approximately level or at a slight slope. Interconnecting pipe  114  connects drain-pipes  108  and  110 , but is at approximately the same slope as the ground level  56  as detention ponds  102  and  104  have effectively the same depth. 
     The drawings presume that the most downstream detention pond will be of the shallower depth of a detention pond without the benefits of the present invention. There is, however, no need for having a detention pond of the shallower depth of a detention pond without the benefits of this invention. All detention ponds can take advantage of the greater depth by having their drain-pipe being diverted to a more downstream location of a lower elevation. 
     Given that detention ponds are a solution to urban flooding and urban property is both expensive and has restricted availability, this method provides a solution to both having to buy more expensive property to detain water and where to buy the property by giving any detention a greater capacity. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9  which is similar to  FIG. 7 , valve  120  is shown in interconnecting pipe  88  which can be closed in seasons or times in which flooding is not expected. When valve is closed with a manual or powered actuator  122 , detention pond  82  can be partially or fully filled with water such as to level  124  and used for other purposes such as recreation or fire prevention. In most cases flooding and fires tend to happen at different times of the year, so multiple uses can be made of capital resources such as detention ponds. 
     The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below. 
     SEQUENCE LISTING 
     N/A