Duck Pond Goes Green... To Visitors' Dismay

You'd be right if you thought the Wild Duck Pond looked a little green lately.

Patrons recently have called and e-mail parks officials about the algae blooms popping up at the county pond. Bergen County Parks officials said algae growth was increased this year, and they are taking care of it. However, there's nothing unhealthy about the situation.

"The main problem is that it's unsightly," parks official Peter Both said Wednesday. "That's it. There's nothing wrong with it. People are concerned that it doesn't look good, and we're taking care of it."

Both also said some algae had clogged fountains, causing decreased flow.

On Tuesday, car traffic was blocked to the Duck Pond as crews restriped the parking lot. Both said the county took the opportunity to remove algae and improve the park's aesthetics. 

He attributed prolonged warm weather throughout May for the increased growth.

"We trucked a bit off. It's really unsightly stuff," said Both, director of the James A. McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff. Crews will work again Friday to improve the vista.

The pond's green spots were the second natural occurrence that caught patrons' eyes this spring. In April 40 sunfish mysteriously floated to the surface, dead. After removing the fish, the county sent samples to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection for lab analysis. 

Originally, Both said illegal stocking from residents might have caused the fishes deaths. After receiving lab results, Both said yesterday a natural-occurring bacterium was the culprit.

During spawning, Both said, fish exert considerable stress in laying eggs and nesting. The fish became more susceptible to the bacteria and caused many to die en masse. Although it was irregular for that many fish to die, water quality samples were deemed safe, he said.

With numerous parks under their management, Both said it took longer than they wanted to for them to get to the algae problem.

Additionally, Both said the algae growth was nothing new. When going through files recently, Both found a 1950s parks photo featuring workers removing algae with rakes attached to boats.

People didn't like green, floaty stuff then, either.