Halsey Pond
Photo Credit June Marie
Halsey Pond is a beloved resource for our community, providing beauty for residents and supporting biodiversity. However, loss of native habitat, encroachment of invasive species, algae blooms, fish die-offs and fishing have compromised the quality of this preserve. A Friends Group is forming to help advocate for change and steward the land.
Dec 9th zoom meeting
Join us at the Green Policy Task Force montly Climate Talk Nov 6th to learn about what is happening at Halsey Pond before hearing resident, speaker and founder of Made Safe, Amy Ziff discuss toxins in our environment.
Our first official meeting is Monday, December 9, 2024 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Join with Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/hnf-fott-uaj
To join the conversation, write to Cbinns@irvingtonny.gov
Adding Nitrates to our Lawns contributes to Fish Kills
Eutrophication is the natural process of nutrients enriching a body of water. Eutrophication normally contributes to its slow evolution into a bog or marsh and ultimately to dry land. But Eutrophication can be accelerated by human activities.
By adding nutrients to promote the growth of our grass (which, yes, creates those beautiful, lush lawns you see on golf courses and homes), we are sending excessive amounts of nutrients to plant life at Halsey Pond (nutrient loading). The nutrients that promote our grass to grow also promotes the growth of algae. The algal blooms limit light penetration to the bottom of the pond. Lack of sunlight causes plants at the bottom of the pond to die. When plants die, their decomposition depletes oxygen in the water.
Lack of sufficient oxygen causes fish to die, i.e. fish kills.
By feeding our grass, we are inadvertently accelerating the eutrophication process of Halsey Pond into Halsey Bog.
Please, stop feeding your lawn in Legend Hollow and holes 16, 17, and 18 at Ardsley Country Club.
Read the 2003 Halsey Pond Report
2003HalseyPondLongTermManagementRecommendations.pdf
Opportunities
Plant to absorb nutrients and improve the water quality. This could include cattails, bulrush, hornwort (an aquatic plant) and water lilies.
Plant riparian buffers between the pond and Golf Course and Legend Hollow development. This could include sedges, ferns, sweetflag, and maybe swamp milkweed & Joe-pye weed. More information on Backyard Buffers here.