The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders today announced a comprehensive plan to restore and beautify five waterways over the next four years in the Union County Parks System.
Upper Echo Lake, located in Echo Lake Park in Mountainside and Westfield, will be the first project to begin. Following the upcoming bid next month, the lake will be drained in April, 2007 and should be refilled by the following winter. The $2.5 million project will include dredging of lake-bottom sediments. The shoreline will also be restored and thousands of plants will be added to improve aesthetics, wildlife habitat and fisheries resources.
“Our parks system is one of Union County’s main attractions,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Families and sportsmen alike enjoy our precious waterways. This project will help to ensure the environmental health of these waterways for years to come.”
Other waterways to be restored include: the Rahway River Park Lake & Lagoon ($1.5 million) in Rahway River Park, Rahway; Meisel Pond ($300,000), Rahway River Parkway in Springfield; Nomahegan Lake ($1.5
million), Nomahegan Park in Cranford; and Briant Park Pond ($1.7 million), Briant Park in Summit. Funding for the projects will come in part from the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund and from $2.3 million in loans from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
As permits are received, construction contracts for each waterway will bid separately. Construction on each project is expected to take about a year to
complete. A diagnostic-feasibility study was conducted for each waterways, with specific treatments recommended for each.
Restoration of Rahway River Park Lake and Lagoon will include dredging, shoreline stabilization, storm water control measures and construction of a created wetland to trap sediments and floating debris before they reach the waterway.
The Meisel Pond project will include dredging, shoreline stabilization and construction of urban storm water control measures.
Restoration of Nomahegan Lake will include dredging, shoreline stabilization, alum treatment to prevent sediment from dropping out of murky water, and storm water runoff control measures.
The project at Briant Park Pond will include dredging, shoreline and stream bank stabilization, and storm water runoff control measures.
The County has already begun work on the restoration of Cedar Brook Lake in Plainfield. The work is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year. Lake bottom sediments are being removed to restore the lake’s original depth, and the pond’s clay liner will be completely replaced to correct a problem of water loss. Also plants are being added and a section of the shoreline is being relined with boulders, while other sections are being fortified for easy access by fisherman. In addition, shoreline restoration work has begun on Warinanco Park in Roselle, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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