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r , <br />r <br />Voeante 6, Naxt6er 2 <br />IN THIS ISSUE ... <br />"Are Stormwater BMPs a <br />Source of Mosquitos? .......... 1 <br />"Aquatic Insects Can Indicate <br />Water Quality ......................2 <br />NEWS & EVENTS... <br />Festival for the Eno <br />10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 4 -5 <br />For more information, visit <br />www.enoriver.org/festival/ <br />Eno River pilot study using <br />herbicide to treat invasive <br />plant hydrilla began May 29 <br />For more information, visit <br />http://nc-ipc.weebly.com/eno- <br />river- hydriIla- project. html <br />This is a publication of the ... <br />Town of Hillsborough <br />Stormwater Management <br />Program <br />Issues available online at <br />www. ci. hillsborough. nc. us. <br />Our Storntwater Draims <br />to tie 49No River! <br />Jaey 2016 <br />Are Stormwater BMPs a Source of Mosquitos? <br />By Haley Moser, Stormwater Intern <br />Citizens often believe that <br />engineered stormwater con- <br />trols — or "best management <br />practices" (BMPs) — are <br />breeding grounds for mosqui- <br />tos. <br />"I get asked about this a <br />lot," Stormwater Program Man- <br />T <br />ager erry Hackett says. <br />"While BMPs can foster an en- <br />vironment for mosquitoes, those that are designed and maintained correctly gener- <br />ally do not have any issues with the insects." <br />The BMPs that foster mosquito growth are designed to hold permanent water, <br />such as retention ponds or underground basins. The stagnant water in these envi- <br />ronments provides an ideal breeding location since mosquitoes require a minimum <br />of four consecutive days of uninterrupted still water for larvae to hatch to adult- <br />hood. To combat mosquito growth, design features can be implemented into BMPs <br />as a proactive measure against mosquitos. The most common design feature is <br />the use of a deep pool, a water body with a minimum depth of 18 inches. The <br />depth of such pools allows for predators, such as the mosquito fish, which survive <br />by finding and eating mosquito larvae in the four -day development period. Another <br />benefit of deep pools is they can aid in water flow if spread throughout a BMP. <br />Moving water deters mosquitos from breeding as it creates an unsafe environment <br />for the larvae. <br />Mosquitos continued on Page 2 <br />