Detention and retention pond construction that controls stormwater and meets site requirements.
Blackland clay around Schertz does not drain the way a basin design assumes it will on paper. It swells tight after a wet spring and cracks open in August, and every detention pond cut into that soil in The Crossvine, Ashley Park, and Forest Ridge answers to those swings whether anyone is watching or not.
We see the same patterns on a lot of Schertz sites. A forebay that was sized correctly in 2019 is half full of silt now because the clay upstream sheds fine sediment every time FM 78 traffic and rooftop runoff hit it hard. Side slopes that were seeded at handover have gone bare or grown a stand of volunteer hackberry and cedar elm along the embankment, which is root structure nobody wants near an outlet pipe. Drawdown that used to take a day now takes three, which usually traces back to a partially blocked outlet structure or a low spot that has silted in.
Working with us on this scope starts with a walk of the basin, not a sales pitch. We look at the inlet, the forebay, the slopes, and the outfall, and we tell you what is actually happening versus what the as-builts say should be happening. From there the work is excavation and grading to restore capacity, riprap or liner repair where erosion has undercut a slope, and outlet and spillway work done to the plan or alongside your project engineer where one is involved. You get a crew that has opened up enough Guadalupe County clay to know where it fails first.
We're a local, family-built company that treats your Schertz property like our own, tidy crews, clear pricing, and detention ponds that holds up to Guadalupe County conditions. Available as a one-time project or part of an ongoing plan.
A detention pond temporarily holds stormwater runoff and releases it slowly, so a developed site doesn't flood downstream neighbors or overwhelm storm drains. Most Central Texas commercial sites, subdivisions and larger developments are required to have detention as part of their drainage permit.
A detention pond drains down to empty between storms and is dry most of the time, while a retention pond holds a permanent pool of water. We build and maintain both, choosing the right one based on your site's soils, drainage requirements and available space.
We schedule a free on-site walk, usually within 48 hours of your call, and look at the basin itself rather than quoting off old plans. We check the inlet, forebay, slopes, and outlet structure, note what is silted, eroded, or blocked, and give you a scope and cost based on what the pond actually needs.
Most HOA and commercial basins in Schertz need attention every one to three years, depending on how much of the watershed above them is still building out. A new phase going in at The Crossvine or Forest Ridge can dump enough fresh sediment downstream to silt a forebay in a single wet season, which is usually what triggers the call.
Yes. Most detention ponds sit at the back of a property away from units and storefronts, so we stage equipment and material there and keep access roads, parking, and walkways clear. On tighter sites we schedule the noisier excavation work for specific windows and coordinate timing with your manager or board ahead of time.
The blackland clay here shrinks and cracks in dry months, then swells shut when it gets wet, which slows infiltration and stresses slopes and embankments. Combined with heavier late-summer downpours typical of this corridor, that means faster sediment buildup in forebays, slope cracking, and outlet structures that silt in quicker than the original design anticipated.
The biggest factors are how much sediment has to come out, how much of the slope needs regrading or restabilizing, and whether the outlet or spillway structure needs repair or replacement rather than just clearing. Site access, how far material has to travel to be moved or hauled, and whether erosion has reached the point of undercutting riprap or liner also factor in.
Free, no-pressure estimate from a local crew. Call (737) 404-9343 or request a quote online.
