Beaudette Pond

​hillsborough county, FL

This is a 4.74 acre (206,608 square foot)  pond near Ruskin, Florida. In March 2021, we deployed ten 1,000 square foot floating wetland islands for Hillsborough County. Each Island was planted with 2,400 aquatic plants and grasses, secured in aerator pots that allow root production into the water column. In a cooperative effort with Dr. Sarah White, of Clemson University, we designed a three year study to assess harvesting techniques for removing nutrients from stormwater. Five of the islands are harvested every four months by trimming the roots and shoots, but leaving the meristematic portions of the plants in the aerator pots to regrow. The other five islands are harvested once annually by complete plant removal and replacement. Islands 2,3, 6,7 and 10 are harvested by trimming, while islands 1,4,5,8 and 9 are completely harvested and replanted annually.​