Dredging begins at Garfield Park

Mentor’s Garfield Park pond restoration project moved to the next phase this week.

Hubbard-based C. Crump Excavating began dredging the pond and taking the sediment to Springbrook Park on Heisley Road, to enhance the soil.

“I believe they took two truckloads to Springbrook today,” Mentor Engineer Dave Swiger said Sept. 12, when digging was initiated. “Activity should increase as the week progresses.”

The city drained the pond for more than two months in order to dry the sediment somewhat before its removal.

In July, safety concerns about the resulting muck led city officials to fence portions of the 3 ½-acre basin’s perimeter.

“There have not been any problems,” Parks & Recreation Director Kenn Kaminski said. “We did find some footprints the first week of draining on the shore area, and we added additional signs about the inherent danger.”

Children in Ashland had to be rescued from an emptied pond at Brookside Park in June after getting stuck in the mud.

The Mentor project hasn’t completely dissuaded the ducks and geese that heavily populated the park, at 7967 Mentor Ave.

Several waterfowl and a crane remained in the mostly drained pond this week, amid the dredging.

“The birds are still in the

The Mentor project hasn’t completely dissuaded the ducks and geese that heavily populated the park, at 7967 Mentor Ave.

park because they know that there is a food source,” Kaminski said. “We still have many people feeding the birds, which we do not recommend.”

About 35,000 tons of sediment will be dredged to provide a water depth of

about 5 feet. The sediment buildup had decreased the depth to 1 or 2 feet.

The work included cutting a channel into the north side of the pond embankment. Water was routed northward into the downstream channel of Newell Creek. The same channel upstream feeds the pond.

Once the dredging work is complete, the channel will be enclosed with a pipe and valve that will allow the city to lower the water surface of the pond as needed. It will be allowed to refill naturally with stormwater runoff from Newell Creek.

The $447,588 project’s completion date is Nov. 15, 2017.

BETSY SCOTT - THE NEWS-HERALD Chris Kirby, C. Crump Excavating foreman, shows a portion of the original Garfield Park Pond floor, unearthed during dredging this week at the Mentor site.