Pond C Interpretive Walk: Welcome to Pond C!

What is Pond C and Why is it Here?

This property was farmed for many years before being incorporated into the City of Dixon. The Pond C basin complex was constructed in 2007 and is now an integral part of the City’s stormwater system.

After rainwater flows down gutters and into the pipes that run beneath the City’s streets, it emerges into Lateral 2 - the large ditch between Pond C and Yale Drive. Prior to the construction of Pond C, Lateral 2 transported stormwater directly to the Delta.

Now, stormwater is diverted from Lateral 2 into Pond C through an underground culvert during low flows or overland in a spillway during flood events. Water fills the main basin and then moves through a bioswale before rejoining Lateral 2 through another culvert. (Culverts are shown with blue arrows in the photo below.)

By retaining stormwater, Pond C recharges the groundwater beneath the City and reduces flooding problems for local residents and downstream farmers.

In 2018, a partnership made up of the City and both the Solano and the Dixon Resource Conservation Districts received an Urban Rivers grant from the California Natural Resources Agency which funded the Pond C Biofiltration and Habitat Project.

The partnership worked with hundreds of community members and students to plant over 2,000 native trees & shrubs and 20,000 native sedge, rush & forb plugs at Pond C. In addition, 730 pounds of native grass and wildflower seed were drill seeded throughout the basin.

The sedges and rushes planted on the bottom of the basin and bioswale help filter out common stormwater pollutants (such as motor oil) while the native trees, shrubs and forbs provide high quality habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.  Interpretive panels with information about the project and Pond C’s natural history are located along the one-mile loop trail that encircles the basin.


Park Rules

Please observe the following rules to help keep Pond C safe for all users, both human and wildlife:

  • Dogs must be on-leash at all times DMC 7.02.010
  • Dog owners are required to clean up their dog's waste    DMC 7.02.030 - Bags and trash receptacles are provided at three places around the Pond
  • Use of alcoholic beverages or glass containers is prohibited DMC 8.01.030
  • Please stay on the gravel trail at all times - Do not enter the main Pond C basin or the Lateral 2 ditch
  • No motorized vehicles allowed  Pedestrians and bicycles only
  • Pond C is subject to closure for periodic maintenance or for safety due to high water