Does anyone know why the pond at Bagley is being drained?

Greg Cole Jun 16, 2015 3 Comments

We walk the dog in the Bagley Nature Area at UMD daily, and since Saturday we’ve noticed the water level in the pond has been quickly dropping. It looks to be two-to-three feet lower than it was last week. There is a drain at the far end of the pond that sounds like it is open. If this is intentional, it seems like an odd time of year to be draining a pond that is home to so much wildlife.

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3 Comments

johnbeargrease

about 9 years ago 

I'm not sure about right now, but I do know that in the past the pond has been drained in an effort to control the spread of invasive species. Apparently, UMD students tend to release various aquatic and amphibious pets in the pond.

Minnesota Sea Grant: Dumping of Aquarium Fish Causing Trouble in Duluth (or Something’s Fishy in Rock Pond)

rev

about 9 years ago 

I was thinking the same thing. I remember Prof John Pastor or another UMD Biology professor talking about it in the early 2000s. Apparently, students dump their aquarium pets when they leave, some of these survive and become a concern, especially when they start leaping the gate and making their way down to Lake Superior.

Fitz

about 9 years ago 

I was just walking over there on my lunch break and ran into someone from Facilities checking the overflow drain on the north end of the pond.  He said that there's some kind of problem with the overflow and that they're not deliberately draining the pond.  Sounds like they might have to dig up that end of the pond next week if they can't fix it.

He was very interesting to talk to.  He said that they installed the overflow stuff when they had to drain the pond in 2003.  It lets overflow drain through a pipe at the bottom of the pond instead of letting the warm surface water spill over when the pond is too full, since that is too warm for the adjoining trout stream.

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