The cleaning of the Country Pond – A Mission Accomplished
From bushy to bare would best describe the Country Pond’s transformation. The pond like many others across and around the island was seriously overrun and crowded with Cattail. According to our research, there are over thirty species of Cattail (genus Typha) they are tall reedy marsh plants that have the ability to adopt to the environment. Additionally, they strive well in brackish water and are perennial plants that emerge from rhizomes that can grow to almost ten feet tall with long flat leaves. It is suspected that the most common type found here is the “Typha angustifolia” and they tend to be invasive in wetlands and forms dense, monotypic stands that shade out other vegetative species.
The cleaning campaign took several days and had different stages. These stages included:
(1) Clearing a path to the pond and the immediate surroundings by using the long boom
excavator and backhoe;
(2) Clearing and cleaning from the edge by using long boom excavator;
(3) Building a ramp into the pond to accommodate the excavator by using backhoe, excavator
and 20 tons trucks;
(4) Clearing and cleaning the centre and extreme ends of the pond by using the long boom
excavator;
(5) Removal of unwanted vegetation and other materials by using the long boom excavator and
three 20 tons trucks. Many loads of the material were deposited in a nearby pasture for
draining before transported to its final destination – The landfill
(6) Smoothing and compacting of the pond edges by using a backhoe.
The Department of Agriculture within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Barbuda Affairs extends heartfelt gratitude to the National Solid Waste Management Authority, and everyone that were involved for the assistance and support given to this project.