WAILUA — The County of Kaua‘i’s Department of Parks and Recreation announced that Morgan’s Ponds at Lydgate Park will be temporarily closed from March 13 through March 17.
The closure is necessitated following the accumulation of debris both in the ponds and shorelines following more than a week of strong winds and rain.
On Saturday, more than a hundred volunteers with the Friends of Lydgate and Kamalani Park rolled up their sleeves and spent a couple of hours to help clean up the primarily vegetative debris, starting from the Children’s Beach end of Morgan’s Pond and working their way southward.
Tommy Noyes, one of the leaders of the Friends of Lydgate and Kamalani Park, said in addition to the accumulation of debris, which included submerged organic matter in the main pond, parts of the seawall were also compromised.
“One thing about Lydgate Park is there is always something that needs to be done,” said Doug Haigh, one of the volunteers that recently retired from the county.
Haigh was one of the volunteers wielding a chain saw to make short work of some of the larger tree boughs and trunks that was among the accumulated debris.
“This is the first time we’re doing this,” said Colleen Zehender of Houston, Texas. “I have Melanie Rice from Ogden, Utah, helping after we heard about this at the Grove Farm Museum movie night, Friday. We love this!”
The couple, after learning about Noyes being connected with the upcoming Fitness Week in the (Kalena) Park, said they plan on enjoying some of the free activities that start on March 11, coinciding with the Downtown Lihu‘e Night Market, and continuing through March 18.
“Yoga?” Zehender said. “That’s Melanie. And Rice Street? It’s named after her — Rice — and it’s free. We’ll definitely be there.”
Noyes said arrangements were made to have two, 30-foot roll off trash containers accommodate the work done by the volunteers to minimize the disruption when the county closes the area.
“If we can’t fill them, this week, there’s always more we can do, next week,” Noyes said.
During the temporary closure of the Morgan’s Pond, the county said all other areas of Lydgate Beach Park will remain open, and thanked the public for its patience during this time.
The Friends of Lydgate and Kamalani Park host weekly cleanups starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays. People wishing to volunteer can meet with the volunteers near the lifeguard tower.
For more information on the temporary closure, people may call the Department of Parks and Recreation at 808-241-4460.
