First step of restoring pond at Pastorius Park complete

Posted 11/29/16

Sediment and debris were removed from the moat at Pastorius Park the weekend before Thanksgiving. by Kevin Dicciani The first step in the process of restoring the pond at Pastorius Park — the …

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First step of restoring pond at Pastorius Park complete

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Sediment and debris were removed from the moat at Pastorius Park the weekend before Thanksgiving. Sediment and debris were removed from the moat at Pastorius Park the weekend before Thanksgiving.

by Kevin Dicciani

The first step in the process of restoring the pond at Pastorius Park — the dredging and cleaning of its moat — has been completed, said Tracy Gardner, president of the Friends of Pastorius Park.

Sediment and debris were removed from the moat the weekend before Thanksgiving. Once cleaned, the moat was refilled with water from the pond. The FoPP, a volunteer, nonprofit organization, financed the work, which was then undertaken by Ponds and Gardens of Limekiln. Gardner added that the FoPP also covered the cost of installing a new artesian well pump for the pond.

“FoPP took on the expense of cleaning the moat and engaging a pond and wildlife specialist to move forward with the very necessary work of finally getting Pastorius Park's pond clean, after 17 years of accumulated sediment and organic matter,” Gardner said.

This past summer the pond’s three circulating pumps failed after years of sediment and debris had rendered them inoperable. This led to stagnant water, algae blooms and dead fish. The FoPP said it would not be able to use the pumps until the pond was cleaned and dredged, but that it did not have the funds to pay for such an expensive operation.

With the hopes of securing funding, the FoPP met with the Chestnut Hill Community Association and the office of 8th District Councilwoman Cindy Bass. The park is owned by the City of Philadelphia, although the FoPP has maintained the pond for nearly 15 years. After multiple meetings, Councilwoman Bass committed to use capital funds to pay for the restoration of the pond. The funds will cover the cost of removing debris and sediment, as well as the cost of draining and refilling the pond.

The moat and surrounding masonry area will be used to temporarily house the pond's aquatic animals while the pond is cleaned by the city's contractor. Some species of fish, such as koi, carp and goldfish, will be relocated to a private, natural pond by Hermann Twelkmeyer, the wildlife specialist for Ponds and Gardens of Limekiln.

The FoPP has informed officials at Philadelphia’s Department of Parks and Recreation that the moat can now accept wildlife, Gardner said. After the pond water is drawn down to about 6 inches, Twelkmeyer, along with volunteer fish and turtle wranglers, will capture and relocate the animals to the moat. When the pond is cleaned and refilled with water, the animals will be returned.

Gardner said that Tom Witmer, operations manager for Parks & Rec, told the FoPP that it is “awaiting necessary approvals” to move forward in the process.

“FoPP certainly hopes these will be forthcoming soon, as the end of the year is rapidly approaching, and conditions for finally getting this big project done are still good for insuring a great spring and summer for the park's water system and the community,” Gardner said.

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