Why do the retention ponds sometimes smell in the spring and summer?
Retention ponds are like marshes. In the spring, a “rotten egg” smell can occur because the snowmelt gets into the ponds and mixes with stagnant water. In the summer, slow-draining bodies of water smell of the fish, animals and plants (especially algae) that live in the water. Algae may also smell, especially in summer during an “algae bloom”, when they grow in abundance. During an algae bloom, the algae appear as a floating green layer on the retention ponds.
