West Park Pond

Susie — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 03:32:22 +0000

Evening wildlife report: One muskrat, four ducks, countless goldfish, one great blue heron, and another not-definitely-identified water bird: a juvenile green heron? Brown with white spots or streaks on its back. Long neck and pointed bill, but not as long or sharp as that of the great blue.

West Park

Chuck Anderson — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:22:22 +0000

At the West Park pond, a friendly and observant person pointed out the small baby/juvenile muskrat.

Ann Arbor OKs Swift Run Stormwater Study

Chronicle Staff — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:47:38 +0000

At its March 7, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council approved a $88,250 contract with J.F. New to conduct a study of the Swift Run drain system near the city’s composting facility. The study is prompted by a 2009 Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) inspection. The inspection determined that a small pond near the northern compost pad required maintenance.

At that time, the MDNRE also requested improvements to the stormwater management system at the compost facility to reduce the impact of nutrient loading on the Swift Run drain. In 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for biota in the Swift Run drain.

The concept behind the study is to examine the various interconnected ponds and ditches as a unified system, so that the MDNRE’s concerns can be satisfied. J.F. New was selected from seven engineering firms who responded to the city’s request for proposals.

This brief was filed from the boardroom in the Washtenaw County administration building, where the council is meeting due to renovations in the city hall building. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

The Ann Arbor Chronicle » pond

West Park Pond

West Park

Ann Arbor OKs Swift Run Stormwater Study