Pictures of Forest Hill Lake Restoration IX
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Pictures were taking on August 4th and thanks as always to David Hathcock fro sending them our way. Mobile Dredging has really taken advantage of the dry weather the past few days. I realize that it is raining now as I post this but at least it isn’t a downpour and I am sure the workers are enjoying the cooler temperatures. They have moved an amazing amount of material out, and the historic confines of the lake are really beginning to take shape. Remember, this is still a construction zone, and is off-limits to the public.
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I suspect most people don’t enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoy documenting the progress of this project. FHP has been a five year project, and so many people have contributed. We have better policing, we have better maintenance. The FOFHP are doing a great job with the Stone House (available soon, we hope, for public events), the Friends are involved in restoring the historic gardens on the property near FH Avenue. The South of the James Market is now an exemplar of what a community can do if it chooses.
What great fun this has been.
I just wonder what happened to all the wildlife that used the neglected lake/ wetland for a home for the past few decades? And what happened to all the beautiful bass my son and I used to catch in the creek that flowed through the wetland? Good bye beautiful wetland and hello to the new sterile lake soon to be home to nothing but fat gross geese.
Matt as discussed in previous posts the turtles and fish were relocated further downstream. Wetlands are part of the plan. I doubt the new lake will be sterile for any length of time once the creek is routed back.
I also would like to add that this lake started out life as a man-made lake. The “wetlands” effect was just a byproduct of poor ecological management of reedy creek over the years.
After talking to the contractors, it’s pretty clear that much of the wildlife will comeback. Herons and hawks still hang out there, and many of the turtles keep trying to return. They’ve been careful to move any fish down stream. I’m not sure there were many bass left but quite a few catfish were there.
They’re also working to improve the water that will run off from the lake down the rest of reedy creek. The man-made dam could do a better job of straining out the silt and junk that invariably runs from the upper part of the creek.
Also a note should be made that the neglected lake as it was, was not a desirable destination to most folks. Polishing up this jewel of the park will make it a more welcoming spot for many.
And thanks are due the Parks Department and the advocates for the park who worked for five years to come up with a mix of environmental and historic perspectives.