When a Clarkston Mill Pond starts looking more like a stream, everyone should be concerned, says Glenburnie Lane resident Tom Macsay.
‘This is not an Upper Mill Pond issue ? this is really a village issue,? Macsay said. ‘It’s all linked together. If this pond breaks down, so go all the other ones.?
The Upper Mill Pond, northeast of the intersection of Miller and Holcomb roads, is fed by the Clinton River from the north. From the pond, water flows south under Miller Road into the Lower Mill Pond at Washington and Main, through Depot Park to waters south.
When he and his family moved in nine years ago, the pond was mostly clear. Over the years, algae and surface plant growth clouded the water, now forming an island in the middle of the pond. Suspected causes include build up of leaves, branches, grass clippings, algae, and lawn chemicals in the water. The growth, which expands in summer and recedes in winter, seems ready to choke off water flow, Macsay said.
‘If it keeps going, it will seal off the pond,? he said.
The Clarkston Mill Pond Improvement Board is holding a public hearing on the issue, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 8, Independence Township Fire Station, 6500 Citation Road.
According to public notice, items for discussion include practicality of a three-year improvement project, 2008-2010, with aquatic plant control, goose round-up, administration, inspections, dredging feasibility study, and contingency.
The $20,500 budget for the projects would be funded through a special assessment on properties benefitting from them, about $305 next year and $179 in 2009 and 2010.
Macsay would like the board to consider more options for cleaning the pond, especially with the cost of dredging, about $100,000.
He has been researching the issue for years, and has found alternatives such as pond-wide aeration systems, eco-friendly, algae control chemicals, and a man-made liner for the entire, four-acre pond.
‘There are a zillion options,? said Macsay, who installed two fountains in his part of the pond to help aerate it. ‘The main thing is to get movement and oxygen back into the pond.?
He also wants public officials to consider public funding to reduce the burden on homeowners. Deterioration of the pond impacts waters downstream, so it is a community issue, he said.
One option the city should consider is taking over all the ponds, he said.
‘That would make them all equal, bring them together,? he said.
Information on pond improvement projects is available at Clarkston city offices, 375 Depot Road. For more information, call 248-625-1559.