Dredging Hardy Pond
The dredging of Hardy Pond is a large part of a comprehensive plan to restore and maintain the health of the pond by eliminating, reducing and controlling as many sources of eutrophication.
Eliminated Sources:
- Farm fertilizer runoff
- Most septic systems gone or improved
Limit Current Sources:
- GPS installations on most storm drains leading into the pond
- Pond Care Guide homeowner information
- Monitor water quality
- Protect adjacent wetlands
Control Sources:
- Educate boaters to inspect trailers and boats for weeds before launching
- Removal of the Water Chestnut plants on a yearly basis
After many years, and many permits later, a dredging contract was awarded by the city of Waltham in the summer of 1998. Our city, state and federal governments are all involved in the dredging or permitting, as well as the general contractor, and dredging subcontractors. The dredging is started in March 1999.
The permits obtained allow the contractors to dredge out the material from the bottom of the pond to a depth of 10 feet. This is to maintain a water depth sufficient enough so that the sun light is not strong enough at the bottom of the pond to allow bottom living weeds to grow. Otherwise the weeds decaying at the bottom of the pond would again contribute to the speed up of the eutrophication build up in the pond.
To locate the contacts in the city, state and federal goverments involved with the dredging, as well as the private contractors, click here.
Dredging at Hardy Pond
The dredging of Hardy Pond started on April 5th, 1999. The first contract was awarded to RDA Construction Corp. for 1.6 Million dollars to remove 120,000 cubic yards of sediment. Mobile Dredging and Pumping Co. is the subcontractor at the site performing the actual dredging. The total amount of cubic yards of sediment that can be taken out of Hary Pond according to our permits is 260,000.
Dredging continued through November of 1999 and then stopped for the winter months. But with spring 2000, the robins returned and so did the dredging. The contract was completed around the end of June 2000, and was followed by a lengthy verification process to confirm that 120,000 cubic yards were removed.
In August 2000, a second contract was negotiated with the same dredging companies involved for 80,000 cubic yards to be removed for $600,000. They started dredging at the start of September 2000 and ended in November of 2000.
There is $200,000 in the 2001 House budget, and $900,000 in the 2001 Senate budget. The budget is currently in conference committee which may take months.
Dredging Contract #1 Information:
- The contract was for the removal of 120,000 cubic yards of wetted sediment for $1.6 Million dollars.
- The approximately 600 cubic yards of sediment that were removed each day, after dewatering, turned into about 250 cubic yards of dry material.
- There was anywhere from 10 to 15 truckloads a day to remove the dewatered sediment.
- The dredging operated Monday through Friday for 10 hours a day.
- The dredging project official DEP File # is 316-0334.
Dredging Contract #2 Information:
- The contract is for the removal of 80,000 cubic yards of wetted sediment for $600,000.
- The goal is to remove more than 600 to 700 cubic yards per day.
- There will be anywhere from 10 to 15 truckloads a day to remove the dewatered sediment.
- The dredging will operate from Monday through Friday for 10 hours a day.
- The dredging project official DEP File # is 316-0334.
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Hardy Pond Association, Inc.
104 Lake Street
Waltham MA 02451-3123
781-899-5344
info@hardypond.org