It’s amazing how much can get done with the right machines and people.  We’ve been able to take advantage of the mostly nice weather to get a lot of work done around the pond, and it is about done.  You can now drive all the way around the pond, and park and fish if you have more limited mobility. 

One of the things we have been monitoring since we started this project is soil erosion and downstream water quality.  With this project we have been able to grade and angle the land above the pond to slow the watershed from the upper field.  This should improve the clarity of the pond, but also prevent further erosion until we can get grass and trees growing on the hillside again.  

We have also put in several new ditch and sediment catchment systems.  With good ditches and small ponds to catch the finer sediment we can not only keep the main pond clear but also protect the watershed below the pond.  The small creeks in the hollows are especially vulnerable to changes in sedimentation or pollution from upstream so this will be one more step to protect those ecosystems. 

We were sad to see the grass we had worked so hard for around the pond go, but we have some topsoil saved to spread, and in time there will be grass again.  I’m personally really looking forward to creating small floral wetland plantings around the catchment ponds and ditches.

We do not currently have an opening date yet for this year, but we do expect to be open this summer.  Part of it will depend on when we have the landscaping work done, and of course part of it depends on the still fluid situation with the pandemic.  We will keep you all updated!