The Garden Island recently queried the county if elements of the ongoing Lydgate dredging project will deter tropical fish from returning to Morgan’s Ponds at the state park. The project includes deepening the swimming areas and moving rocks that have
The Garden Island recently queried the county if elements of the ongoing Lydgate dredging project will deter tropical fish from returning to Morgan’s Ponds at the state park. The project includes deepening the swimming areas and moving rocks that have tumbled into the ponds back to the rock wall from which they originated.
Here’s what consultant Derrick Elfalan of Oceanit had to say:
TGI: Are all rocks being removed from the surface of the Morgan’s ponds to put back into wall?
DE: All large rocks that were dislodged, displaced and buried in the pond are being placed back on the breakwater to restore the structure to its original height. The breakwater was constructed many years ago to provide a protected area, creating a pond suitable for recreational swimming. The rocks are placed in such a manner to maintain the voids between rocks. This rock configuration provides energy dissipation from offshore waves, which protects the pond, while allowing water to come through the wall to maintain circulation and water quality in the pond.
TGI: How did the many fish we see while snorkeling get into the ponds? Were they placed there by the county or did they wander in themselves?
DE: The breakwater provides a protective habitat for small fish. Small fish that are seen in the pond are able to enter the pond through the void spaces in the breakwater.
TGI: If the rocks are removed, is there a concern that it could disrupt fish habitat? If not, why? Logs and rocks can provide protection and become the home of prey for fish.
DE: There’s no concern that the breakwater repair will disrupt the fish habitat. The breakwater repair is essentially limited to the top of the structure and not the existing core portion of the breakwater. Fish are attracted to vertical habitat for protection and solid grazing substrate. The rocks that had become dislodged from the pond wall by storms over the years were mostly covered by the sand and provided minimal habitat value for the fish. Logs are a maintenance issue and are removed on a regular basis.
TGI: Is it possible there won’t be any fish to in the ponds once the project is completed?
DE: Repair of the breakwater and dredging of the pond area will essentially have no impact on the fish habitat that exists within the breakwater structure. Once the work is completed, the environment for the fish will be essentially restored and the fish will return to both the breakwater and the pond area. Allowing the pond wall to continue to degrade would have eventually led to a large hole in the wall through which large predator fish could enter the pond and effectively remove the small fish that presently find refuge within the pond.
• Jessica Musicar, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or by e-mailing jmusicar@thegardenisland.com.
