We have a 3 acre pond in front of our facility. The pond was bult due to run off requirements per the county, (not a natural body). The pond is utilized for geothermal heating and cooling (reservoir for closed loops). We do have geese, and ducks that are "natural habitat" for the pond. Can the pond be counted towards SS c5, if we do not have any activities in regards to restoration?
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Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11474 thumbs up
July 12, 2010 - 8:36 pm
The credit language (see above) explicitly mentions water bodies, so it's clear that your approach here is possible.I think the burden of proof will be on you to show that the water body is truly a natural area that promotes biodviersity. Some things to consider might be what is the vegetation surrounding the pond (native or adapted plants, not turf grass), vegetation in the pond (no aquatic invasives), does the pond have a natural shape and slope that allows it to blend into the landscape and provide a variety of habitats? What does a natural pond in your region look like, and how does it compare with your pond?I have seen geese and ducks at lots of ponds that I wouldn't consider "natural habitat" for the area that they're in, so I wouldn't call it a day just yet, but this seems doable.