Mawson Ponds is a bioretention basin located next to Athlon Drive. Alongside Athlon Drive is a large concrete open drain which was once Yarralumla creek flowing downstream to the Molonglo River. Mawson Ponds treats some of the stormwater that runs off from the suburbs of Mawson and Farrer.
Mawson Ponds consists of a sediment forebay (the smaller pond) where stormwater is first directed during rain events. The sediment forebays main job is to slow the velocity of stormwater which results in sediment dropping out and falling to the bottom of the pond. There are water-loving plants (macrophytes) which are planted around the sediment forebay which also help improve water quality.
The main pond is where most of the nutrient removal happens. Nutrient removal is a misleading term as what happens is a mix of physical, chemical, and biological processes that covert, change or transform the Nitrogen and Phosphorus which the stormwater has collected as it flows across the catchment. The aforementioned macrophytes planted around the edge of the pond help facilitate nutrient removal through providing a home to a biofilm around the roots of plants which contains bacteria which process the nutrients into other forms. They also utilise the nutrients for their own growth.
Mawson Pond has seating and an outdoor classroom area.
Friends of Mawson Ponds
The Friends of Mawson Ponds has made some massive achievements in engaging the local community to care for the future of the urban open space that surrounds Mawson Ponds. They were successful in receiving an ACT Environment Grant in 2021, engaging in planting and creation of a wildlife corridor.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Mawson-ponds-109748211153890
Contact: mawsonponds@gmail.com
Explore sightings around Mawson Pond on Canberra Nature Map.
Canberra Nature map sightings (https://canberra.naturemapr.org/locations/sightings/11037