Comments on: S. Industrial & Eisenhower

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:51:18 +0000

As a linguist myself, I won’t quibble, although it’s often a distinction without a difference, since retention ponds sometimes dry up, and detention ponds (I have two) are almost always at least somewhat wet.

By: abc

abc — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:27:45 +0000

If it is designed to be wet all the time it is supposed to be called a retention pond. If it is just wet folowing a rain event, meaning it is dry most of the time, then it is supposed to be called a detention pond. Both are supposed to perform the same function though; allow the new stormwater to be absorbed back into the environment slowly to prevent downstream flooding.

I assume the terms were decided upon by engineers but I think a linguist could quibble with them.

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:20:20 +0000

Actually, I’ll retract that. Detention ponds are design to slow down runoff, but not to hold water indefinitely. This looks like a retention pond, since it’s designed to always have water. (Confusingly, retention ponds are sometimes called “wet detention ponds.”)

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:13:29 +0000

Probably “detention.”

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:55:42 +0000

Of course I should have said “retention pond”. Or is it “detention”? I get those two mixed up.

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:53:52 +0000

Or it’s been very, very wet!