Water
Works at Smith
 This week, Smith’s two ponds will begin to undergo maintenance
projects that will be evident in lowered water levels.
The larger of the two,
Paradise Pond, which flows over the spillway, is now in need
of dam repair. The project includes reconstructing an earthen
dike that runs 800 feet upstream from the spillway to the
throwing field.
The water in Paradise Pond will
be partially drawn down to a level that is eight feet below
normal for about two months. Parts of the pond floor may
be exposed by the water loss. In addition, the jogging path
will be fenced off from the spillway north past the softball
field during the project.
In the two-month period, T Ford
Company of Georgetown, Mass., will remove stumps, replace
some soil with new material and reshape the dike to a consistent
slope and elevation. The lower portion of the slope upstream
will be armored with stone.
Additionally, the Lyman Plant
House pond will be dredged so that the area can be cleared
of invasive plants and the banks be reshaped.
The project
includes the removal of about 200 cubic yards of material
as well as installation of a gravity fed underground water
supply to improve the water quality.
In addition to the draining
of the water during the duration of the project, which is
expected to be completed by Scapes Builders of Deerfield,
Mass., by early December, a screened fence will be installed
around the site.
New plants will be added around
the pond in the spring. |
