copied from www.BloomfieldTwpnj.com/news.htm
Over the course of this year, the collective efforts of Mayor Raymond McCarthy, Councilwoman Patricia Ritchings, Barbara Lawton of The Funding Group, and innumerable local supporters, including the Friends of Clark's Pond, have worked towards raising the $1.5 million needed to restore Clark's Pond. One million dollars of the needed funds was granted by The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres Program. Additional funding of $250,000 has been awarded toward the Clark's Pond Restoration Project through the Essex County Open Space Trust Fund. The balance of the needed funding will come from the Township Capitol Fund. The funds will be used to repair the dam, much needed dredging, re-contouring the pond and the stabilization of the Third River stream banks. In 2000, the 18 acres of land that includes Clark's Pond was declared a nature preserve, thanks to the efforts and petition of Friends of Clark's Pond. Home to plant life of unique qualities and nearly sixty forms of wildlife, including the state proclaimed endangered species, the redheaded woodpecker, Clark's Pond is a piece of nature in need and highly worth the restoration and preservation.
Once called Brownie's Pond in the late 1800's, the pond and surrounding acreage was purchased by Clark's Thread Company for manufacturing purposes. Bloomfield Township regained ownership in 1961 after the company ceased using it for its processing. At that time, the pond and the surrounding land was considered to be in reasonable condition. But over the years that followed, with the construction of the Garden State Parkway and residential and commercial expansion, the condition of the area has deteriorated. The once six foot deep pond now stands only inches from disappearing forever. Since its last dredging in 1981, an alarming amount of silt has nearly filled the pond and damaged both the quality of the land and the safety of the wildlife it's home to. The Clark's Pond restoration Project is aimed at returning the usefulness and beauty of the area to Bloomfield. Currently used for numerous educational and recreational purposes and activities, including the annual fishing tournament, an event that is attended by hundreds of men, women, and mostly children every year until last. This activity had to be cancelled for the last two seasons due to the deteriorating conditions.
The basic layout of the project is to mechanically dredge the pond to its original depth of six feet, upgrade the quality of the water in Clark's Pond and the Third River, enhance the habitat for wildlife, enhance educational and recreational opportunities, increase wildflower life throughout the area, and reduce the goose population in the pond and on the athletic field of Bloomfield Middle School. The project's intentions also include making Clark's Pond the centerpiece of the anticipated Bloomfield Greenway. The Greenway will link all of the local public open spaces by means of walkways, bikeways and trails. Plans for re-contouring the shoreline include a gentle slope on the west shore, to allow for better diversity of different classes of semi-aquatic and riparian wildlife and plants. The south shore will be contoured to form an aquatic shelf with one to one and a half feet of water. This contour will include a design to resolve the debris accretion and stagnation. Other shoreline contouring will assist in making possible more plant life and open fishing areas. Planting of more and new wildflower life, a project that started last year will be continued by the Friends of Clark's Pond after the majority of the project is completed.
Overall, the completion of the restoration will benefit the whole of Bloomfield, adding educational, recreational and visual value to the town and for the people of Bloomfield. The grants received will go a long way to restoring some of the most beautiful land in the town. It is not yet known when the project will be completed, but what is known is that the funding received from the Open Space Trust Fund, NJDEP's Green Acres Program and the Township Capital Fund, have paved the way for Bloomfield's Greenway to be underway. The Green Acres Open Space Pro- gram of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has announced a decision to award, Bloomfield Township a grant of one. million dollars for restoration work at Clark's Pond .including dredging: and dam repair. With this very positive news, the Town- ship should begin detailed planning for the "project. Because of the· good news about stream bank restoration north of the pond (see article on page 3) and be- cause of the long delay since the last bidding process, another bidding process will be required. in addition, the township will be co- operating with the Friends of Clark's Pond and Third River to facilitate; planning for the restoration work called .for in our DBF Water Quality improve merit Grant. This restoration will Include extensive aquatic bio filtration areas, shore line p IS riti rigs, hardwood forest, and riew wiId flower meadow. Bloomfield has also' applied for and received a $250,000 grant from the Essex County Green Acres Open Space Trust Fund. Our thanks go to Mayor Raymond McCarthy, the Township Council, James Adarns of the Funding, Group, Evelyn Re id and Counciiwoman Pat Ritchingsand all members of the Bloomfieid Open Space Trust Fund, As well as to the many members of the public who supported us in our efforts to get the; pond dredger. It was a warm sunny summer afternoon in my ho me town of Bloomfield. I had just completed my last pressing task of the day and realized I had 2 hours of free time before dinner". I decided to. go down to dark's Pond and stroll through the Nature: Trails. I parked at ' the end of Bessida, and armed with binoculars, started down the /access, .road towards the d£Lm.. As I .reached the pond I had-my first wildlife en-