Reopening of Lydgate ponds pushed back

WAILUA — Originally scheduled to re-open this Saturday, the Lydgate Park ponds are now scheduled to be open to the public by month’s end.

An announcement will be made when a firm date has been determined, states a county press release.

County officials said that several steps remain before the ponds can be re-opened, including: water quality testing by the state Department of Health; removal of the excavated sand; and removal of the debris that spilled into the ponds during the recent storm.

Goodfellow Brothers, Inc. was awarded a $274,450 contract for the Lydgate Pond restoration project.

In addition to the sand and debris removal, the scope of work for the project also includes:

• Dredging the large pond to increase its depth from about 3 1/2 feet to between seven to nine feet.

• Placing the boulders that fell inside the pond back in their original positions along the border.

The Lydgate ponds were built in 1964 to provide residents and visitors with a year-round protected area for swimming.

The repair work is expected to restore the ponds to their original condition.