Old industry grounds become habitat 11/23/2008 12:24 AM
By SUZANNE R. STONE Staff writer
NORTH AUGUSTA -- Mayor Lark Jones presided over a dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting for Brick Pond Park Saturday morning.
The 30-acre park and pond area is located behind the new municipal building on Center Street. The man-made ponds were created as a wetland and wildlife habitat in the brick ponds left behind to become overgrown and neglected from the one-time riverside brick industry, according to Turner Simkins, vice president of the North Augusta Riverfront Company/Hammond's Ferry, who spoke at the dedication ceremony.
"Dr. Gene Eidson at the Southeast Natural Sciences Academy determined that this was really the drainage basin for all of North Augusta, and it was trying to heal itself. It just needed a little nudge and a little TLC to be able to do that," Simkins said. "It was almost like everyone who became involved in this thing was naturally drawn to it and understood it was the right thing to do. It's a very big departure from the original plans; this was all going to be filled in with houses. We lost 100 houses to make this wetland."
Craig Hesterlee, South Carolina watershed coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency, read a statement from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field supervisor Timothy Hall, who was unable to attend the dedication, and made some remarks of his own on behalf of the EPA.
"Wetlands basically function like the kidney of a water body. They filter out all the bad stuff, and they turn all the stuff a water body needs to be successful all the way down to the Atlantic Ocean," he said. "What you've built here is a laboratory for future generations to come and understand your connection to the river and then the cultural, historical and ecological importance of maintaining these resources."
Jones thanked Cub Scout Den 8 from Pack 7, whose members built and installed wood duck boxes throughout the new park, and Girl Scout Juniors Group 5775, whose members planted more than 100 cypress trees and wetland plants in the park. Jones also presented Girl Scout Juniors Alaina Miller and Angel Watts with their Bronze Award patches, earned through the park project.
After the speeches, the crowd went uphill to a ridge for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Surrounded by members of the North Augusta City Council, city staffers and private business partners, Jones cut a green ribbon and officially declared the park open for business.
For more information about Brick Pond Park, call the North Augusta Department of Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services at 441-4300.
Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.
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Posted by: golfers at north augusta On: 11/23/2008
Comment Title: North Augusta Mayor
Lark, Seems like you didn't want the Clubhouse at North Augusta CC to go up either as you resigned your membership after hitting your last hole in one on #6 and having the Augusta Chronicle put your face in the paper. How about having the city buy the club and giving North Augusta citizens a reputable golf course.
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