The City of Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department celebrates the newly revitalized pond at Kelly Park. InkFreeNews photos by Madison Hart.

By Madison Hart
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — This week the City of Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department completed a pond revitalization project to allow fishing at Kelly Park.

The project was in progress for more than four years, but problems arose with the initial engineering, according to Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer. Inspections revealed the elevation was too high in the back of the pond for runoff. Red flags were raised, and a stop notice was put in place for almost two years.

“This is my 40th year with the Parks, and back in the ’80s, you used to be able to come here and enjoy the pond and fish with your kids or grandkids,” said Plummer. “It was really enjoyable. Then they rerouted the stormwater, and it filled in the pond and led to it being non-fishable and uninhabitable.”

“We’re thankful the stormwater funds were available to allow this to happen, to revitalize the pond and improve the drainage in the area through the watershed. It looks like a beautiful park again,” he added.

The project included clearing overgrowth, dredging the pond, placing stone around the perimeter of the pond, widening the stormwater ditch coming from Fawley Street, replacing its stone and more. To keep the pond water clear and prevent algae build-ups, six aerators will run continuously. The plan is to stock to the pond with fish for fishing.

Clearing out the brush also made a new section of the park behind the pond accessible, and Plummer said the parks department will look into putting picnic tables there.

Since the update Plummer provided at the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Board on Tuesday, Sept. 17, the incline to the water was graded for safe access to the pond and seeded. Everything has been completed on the project. The City of Warsaw Stormwater Utility and the parks department will both contribute to the upkeep of the pond.

The dredges from the pond were placed inside the fenced-in section of the sledding hill. The fence will remain in place for the time being for the safety of parkgoers. As the moisture from the dredges slowly drain through a drainage pipe at the bottom, the top of the hill will sink. Plummer estimates the land will take eight months to a year to dry.

In the meantime, the sledding hill will be ready for sledding this winter, given there is enough snowfall. Plummer said he hopes by next year the sledding hill will be dry and ready to grade. Once the sledding hill is done, he said he looks forward to bringing back slip-and-slide events for year-round enjoyment of the hill.

“We’re glad we got a solution that will work and is functional and aesthetic to the park,” said Plummer. “We’re glad it’s complete.”