How can I provide input or feedback on the project?

Visit the Get Involved section of this website for more information.

What is the project schedule?

Construction is scheduled for the second half of 2025 with completion by the end of 2025.  Native vegetation establishment and touch-ups will continue into 2026.

Will Landen-Deerfield Park be open during construction?

Yes.  The park will remain open except for the construction area around the existing pond.  All are asked to remain outside the construction area for their safety and the safety of construction crews.  Entering within the fenced construction area is considered trespassing.

Why reduce the size of the pond?

The project won't remove the Landen-Deerfield Park pond completely, but it will reduce the pond to about one-sixth of its current size.  A half-acre of open water will be maintained to allow for fishing to continue at the park.

Historically, a pond never existed in this location until it was created by damming the stream in the 1980's and therefore the pond is man-made and not a natural feature.  (Interestingly, damming a stream, as was done here, would not be permitted if it was proposed today.)

The pond is currently unhealthy due to being silted in, and is subject to blooms of algae, duckweed, and watermill that have to be treated with chemicals.  

To sustain the pond, it has to be dredged periodically which results in millions of dollars in long-term maintenance costs, and the Park District's budget cannot absorb those costs.  

The pond also has a dam that comes with its own maintenance obligations and costs, which is a serious matter because failure to maintain the dam can endanger residents living downstream.

Re-establishing the natural stream channel in this area will improve water quality and reduce downstream flooding risk while serving as a permanent solution to these costly long-term maintenance obligations.

What happens to stormwater detained by the pond?

The existing pond at Landen-Deerfield Park was created for aesthetic and recreational purposes only, and does not serve any stormwater function.  There is no low-flow outlet to the pond, so once the water level reaches the top of the control structure, no flows are detained -- the water just passes right through. 

The proposed project is expected to improve upon, and not detract from, the stormwater detention function of the area, by creating more room for water to back up in the event of pulse stormwater flows, and by incorporating wetlands that absorb, retain, and filter storm water.

Will the pond be temporarily drained?

Yes, the Landen-Deerfield Park Pond will need to be temporarily drained to facilitate construction of the project.

What happens to fishing?

We recognize that fishing is a much-loved activity at Landen-Deerfield Park.  However, the existing pond is not a healthy environment for fish because of its shallow depth, algae/duckweed/watermill infestations robbing fish of the oxygen they need to survive, and the chemical treatments required to deal with unwanted aquatic vegetation overgrowth.

The restoration project will maintain a one-half acre pond that will have the proper depth for a healthy environment for fish.  The Park District plans to stock the new pond one time after construction is finished to initiate what we hope will become a healthy fish population.

Fishing will be temporarily unavailable during construction, to protect public safety.

What will happen to fish and other animals?

The pond in its current condition creates poor conditions for fish and other wildlife due to a lack of oxygen created by unwanted algae, duckweed, and watermill, and the chemical treatments required to control overgrowth of unwanted aquatic vegetation. 

The project team consulted with experts and investigated ways to minimize fish loss, working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to eliminate fishing limits so that anglers could help remove fish ahead of draining.  

Most other mobile animals, including turtles and birds, are expected to simply move to other nearby habitats.

Despite this, we recognize that some loss of fish and other wildlife will be inevitable.  Some fish will taken by birds or other predators when the pond is drained.  Some of the creatures that will not survive are invasive species and the environment will benefit from their removal.

To protect other habitats from the spread of disease and invasive species, moving fish and other animals to other bodies of water is strongly discouraged.

The project team has coordinated with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and US Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that there will be no taking of threatened or endangered species.

It is important to keep in mind that the original construction of the dam in the 1980's created an unnatural condition, and unwinding that to return to a more natural state has consequences.  But that was determined when the dam was originally built.  While there is temporary disruption involved, the end result of the project will be better habitat for species of wildlife that are more beneficial to our ecosystem.

The Park District plans to stock the new 1/2 acre pond at least once after the project is complete, to work toward establishing a fish population there.

What effect will the project have on mosquitoes?

Establishing healthy wetland areas should increase beneficial predators like dragonflies, leading to a decrease in the mosquito population without the use of chemicals.

What does the project cost and who's paying for all this?

The project budget is $923,179.  The Park District applied for and received a grant from Governor DeWine's H2Ohio initiative for $423,179, and the rest comes from a subgrant of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds of $500,000 that came to the Park District via the Warren County Commissioners.