Wild Duck Pond Ecological Restoration

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Wild Duck Pond is a man-made lake constructed sometime before 1927 based on historic maps. Early County Park Commission reports indicate that the first Bergen County Park opened in 1952 and
included the Wild Duck Pond. The 1952 Bergen County Park Commission Annual Report indicates the “Ridgewood Duck Pond” was flooded for winter ice skating. Over the years, the Wild Duck Pond at Saddle River County Park has been a beloved Bergen County landmark. However, in recent summers, the water levels of the pond have been unstable. The Parks Department responded to these concerns by engaging an engineering firm that specializes in ecological restoration to assist with renovating the Duck Pond. The goal of the restoration is multifaceted: to improve pond water retention, remove invasive species, and repair the pond’s ecology to create conditions for a sustainable, healthy habitat for native plants and animals. Consistent with the 2019 County Parks Masterplan, this ecological restoration will showcase several environmental controls, such as stormwater best management practices. A new pond liner and at-grade pump system will provide stability in the water surface elevations. New wetland and aquatic habitat will be implanted within the existing drainage channel and within the pond to support native wildlife. All of these steps will have the overall effect of restoring wetlands and establishing conditions