RUMSON – The Rumson Board of Education has partnered with the borough to transform the existing pond on the Deane-Porter and Forrestdale schools property into an outdoor educational space.
The project consists of removing about 2,000 cubic yards of sediment from the bottom of the pond to create an average water depth of three to four feet. The dredging is expected to significantly improve the environmental quality of the pond, as more water will allow for temperature stabilization, meaning less vegetative growth and improved oxygen content for fish and wildlife.
Monmouth University is also partnering on this project. The university conducted a bathymetric survey on the pond, which provided information on the depth of the pond and the amount of sediment it contains, critical for the dredging plan.
An outdoor classroom that would overlook the pond and be used by multiple grades in science classes and other specialty subjects is also part of the plan. The classroom will be approximately 30 feet by 40 feet.
Najarian Associates, the company consulting on the project, has also offered to come into the schools for a discussion on pond dredging and its benefits.
“That’ll be licensed professional engineers and environmental scientists coming into the classroom potentially right before the project starts,” said Marks.
The method of dredging has not yet been decided upon. “The NJDEP will regulate how we dredge the pond and there’s two mechanisms here that we’re investigating,” said Marks.
Either way, students can use the dredging process as an additional learning experience. The superintendent of the Rumson School District, John E. Bormann, is looking to create a project for the students to examine and analyze the pond as dredging occurs.
This article was first published in the June 28-July 5, 2018 print edition of The Two River Times.