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ChpiAo . O ty4 O; v11Mi1 Potttttô b ,e back in shape by the fali: ow By IRENE GENTLE The Champion The weed-choked Mill Pond wiii iikeiy be nursed back to heaith by the end of November, residents heard. About 30 cisizens gos the low-down on a plan to rejuvenate the troubled pond at a public meeting hosted by the Town Thursday night. The meeting, held in the lobby of the old Town Hall, featured a short presentation followed by a question and answer session with Town engineer Peter Linn and project contractor James Wraith of CRA Contractors Limited. It wrapped up with the residents strolling to tIse pond itself. TIse proposed project aims to dredge tIse pond of sediment, which harbours thse moots of tIse invasive weed Eurasian Milfoil. It's similar to Purple Loosestrife in that once it gets a hold, it tends to choke out other plant species. In early JuIy, work crews should start scraping about 30,000 cubic metres of sediment from the pond. That's the accumulation of about 122 years, said Mr. Wraith. And due to stricter agricultural and construction regulations. it'l Iikely take even longer for current levels of debris to return. 'I don't expect it to silt up again," said Mr. Wraith. But an altered deaign for a 3,500 metre wetland area on the north aide of the pond has reaident John Duignan, who in the past helped form the citjzen-initiated Miii Pond Committee, con- cemed. He objected to a ahoal of tiny islands made out of organic mate- SAEo -I..M TOO W sCRYTELRES EETINO £ ADA MAD */OO BUK rial such as tree logs anC wood chips extending acroas the mouth of the pond. It's messit to sct as a living weir. Mr. Duignan feared the matter would rot and seep into thse main water body. 'In a rainfall or flow, ail this atuff will wash into the pond," he said. Mr. Duignan also wornied about insufficient water flow from the Sixteen Mile Creek into thse pond. 'I'hen it would quickly degenerate into a swamp," he said. About 10 per cent of flow from thse creek ia expccted to fred into tise pond, aaid Mr. Wraith. In average rainfall conditions, that means thse pond would likely replenish itaelf every six to 10 weeks. He bclieved the weir will act as a filtering mechanismi, ao if sediment builda up, it'll be trapped in thse wetland arca. Any future dredging would then be isolated to that site. Town Councillor Art Melanson, the only political represents- tive at thse event, liatened quietly to the presentation before giving it a thumbs up. "I'm really in favour of it," he said, adding he'd like to aee some acration to be aure the water isn't stagnant. But Mr. Duignan waan't swayed by what he heard. "It's going to need some modifications. Theoe's no doubt about it,"he said. Wants original form Mr. Duignan would like to sec the channel dredged as well, and wondered why the pond wasn't being designed back to it'a histor- ical form. Overaîl, the design won kudos froni Conservation Halton's Dave Featherstone. "It does add somne enhancemnents that weren't in thse original design, but 1 think that's a good thing," he said. But there's no foolproof way to eliminate milfoil for good, he warned. 'Mil.foil is pretty hardy stuff," he said. "There isn't a aure-fire control." Excavating thse pond is, expectcd to take 10 weeks, with another 10 weeks set aside to refll it. Large trees are expected to remain in place during thc work. Any small treea or sheubs that are removed will be replaced. The project is expected to cost between $595,000 and $742,000. The Town bas also reveived funding froni thefeèderal goveru- ment to erect a gazebo by thc pond. Residents intcrested in the plan can sec it displayed in thse lobby of Town Hall during business hours. After bouts, a amaller version of the design can be scen in a dis- play case outside Uic doors of Town Hall. Fsnally, updated plans can be accesscd on the Internet by click- ing on projecta as town.milton.on.ca. Public comment ia welcome, said M. Linn. the LS7ý1ýeepp Fact Oý Yi