By Laura Lane
"I've never seen it like this," she said. "And it's too bad. The pond is a little slice of nature in a heavily trafficked area."
Other residents, like Art Kaplan, also worry about the pond. "There's a layer of algae and debris floating on top," said Kaplan, who lives near the pond. "I've seen a basketball floating for three weeks in the pond." Kaplan said he'd seen algae in Cammans Pond in previous years, but it's usually cleaned up pretty quickly.
Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg, a Democrat of Merrick, said he has sent Health and Parks department workers to Cammans to help eliminate the algae and clean up the garbage. Last weekend, workers removed trash and skimmed the edge of the pond with rakes. Denenberg also asked the workers to make sure the drain leading to the bay wasn't clogged with debris.
Even so, there remained a large amount of algae on Cammans Pond. Department of Public Works hydrogeologist Brian Schneider, who also lives in Merrick, said there are several reasons why. "The warm stretch that we had for one week in May was enough to set the whole process in motion," said Schneider. "Algae is common in freshwater ponds, and it's a problem exacerbated by temperature and the availability of nutrients."
Schneider explained that these nutrients, which include lawn fertilizers, cause algae growth. "Thousands of pounds of fertilizers are applied to lawns, and when people water their lawn, it goes into the drain, and then into the pond," said Schneider. "When the water heats up to a certain point, it's favorable for algae growth from the nutrients."
Canada geese, which have taken up residence in the pond, also provide nutrients for algae growth. "Their excrement is loaded with nutrients, which is washed into the water when it rains," said Schneider, adding that Canada geese are migratory birds, but don't leave if they're fed. "It doesn't help that people continue to feed the geese, even though there are signs everywhere telling them not to. I see people leaning up against these signs feeding the geese."
Schneider said that the food people give the geese isn't part of the birds' diet, and not only keeps them at the pond, but can also harm them.
Heavy rains would push the algae out of the pond and into the canal to the south. But not enough rain has fallen this spring. So, Schneider said, the algae continues to grow.
Cammans Pond isn't the only pond covered in algae. Denenberg and Schneider said that Mullener Pond, at the northeast intersection of the Southern State and Meadowbrook parkways, has a similar problem, as does Mill Pond in Port Washington.
Although Cammans Pond is unsightly, Schneider doesn't believe the algae will endanger fish or draw mosquitoes. "There would have to be excessive levels of algae to absorb the oxygen [and harm fish]," he said. "And I don't think there will be a mosquito problem, because there's a good portion of saltwater at Cammans Pond, and the fish would eat the mosquito larvae."
Schneider said that if there isn't a heavy rainfall, another possible solution would be for county parks workers to go into the pond in boats and remove the algae. "That would require a massive effort," said Schneider. "I think our only hope right now is a massive rain. Not only will the rain push the algae out of the pond, but it will also dilute the nutrients, and the algae will eventually die off."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
