A surface water outlet device for allowing water removal from a sediment pond while controlling sediment removal that includes a float formed of interconnected lengths of pipe sealed against water intrusion and a drain pipe attached to the float and having a plurality of openings to allow water to drain into the drain pipe. A swivel is positioned intermediate the float and the drain pipe and adapted to allow the float to rise and fall with the water level in the sediment pond and to allow the drain pipe to pivot relative to the float as the floats rises and falls with the water level. An annular slide pipe is positioned over the drain pipe and is moveable along the length of the drain pipe to cover a varying length of the slots to correspondingly vary the rate at which water flows into the drain pipe through the slots.