Use of pond by animals restricts actual excavation to three months, beginning in September
By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — With state environmental permits in place and a contract for the first phase of the dredging of Grovers Mill Pond awarded to an Ohio firm, the township is now waiting for the arrival of spring when preparations for the project can begin, officials said Thursday.
The Army Corps of Engineers — which is supervising the project — has received all of its prerequisite Department of Environmental Protection permits for the project, and a $2.1 million contract was awarded earlier this fall to Select Transportation Inc., according to Township Engineer Jim Parvesse.
Work scheduled for the spring and next fall are just one part of the project, which carries a cost of approximately $4.6 million.
The Army Corps of Engineers is paying $2.9 million of the tab, with the rest paid by the township.
The awarding of the contract means the next step will be in the spring, when construction crews hollow out a site in Community Park to be used as a repository for materials dredged out of the pond floor.
This staging site will be placed in an area of the park adjacent to Big Bear Brook, allowing for pond discharge from pond sediments to drain into the waterway, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said.
”There will have to be a monitoring program to make sure they meet the state water requirements,” Mayor Hsueh said.
The dredging project is meant to help restore the habitat of the pond, which is compromised because of sediments filling the pond and vegetation that clogs the surface.
But the actual dredging project won’t be able to begin until September due to concern for some groups of animals whose environment will be improved by the project.
”There are several issues out there,” said Mr. Parvesse. “They relate to the turtle hibernation, fish spawning and bald eagle restriction, which are limiting what we can do.”
A dredging window of the months of August, September, and October will be required, with turtle restrictions in place from Nov. 1 to April 1, the bald eagle restrictions from Dec. 15 to May 14, and fish spawning from May 1 to July 31, according to Mr. Parvesse.
”I think some of the turtles would like to be able to sleep without being disturbed by the project,” Mayor Hsueh said.
Councilman Charles Morgan said he had mixed feelings on the project.
”There is the historical nature of the dam and the pond and the mill there and the need to rehabilitate the pond, but a reasonable case could have been made that the dam should have been removed. It no longer serves any function,” said Mr. Morgan. “But that was the decision made and I support finishing it.”
The project was first contemplated because following the dredging and removal of materials, the staging area in Community Park will be fully restored, Mayor Hsueh said.