The Dredge Report: work finished on pond

FRANKLIN - Despite a snowstorm and heavy autumn rains, the dredging of Franklin Pond is "one hundred percent done," Mayor Doug Kistle said. "They put ten trucks in there and they got it out as fast as they could, before another rainstorm hits," Kistle said of the efforts of Salmon Brothers contractors to finish the job. "The (Wallkill) river's flowing, and we're closing the (dam) valve slowly so we can get the water back over the falls again." The pond, which was created by damming the Wallkill in the early 1900s, had built up large silt and sediment deposits over the years, filling in areas near the banks and channeling the river into the center of the pond. The problem that became critical after torrential rains on Aug. 12, 2000. The borough had wanted to dredge the entire pond, but could secure funding for only part of the job. Last year, with a $475,000 state grant, the borough decided to seek a contractor to excavate sediment from the head of the pond near the borough garage on Corkhill Road where the Wallkill River enters. Salmon Brothers won the contract with a promise to remove 27,000 cubic yards of material. Kistle said the company actually removed 29,000 cubic yards. "They went over and above the contract, which is okay with us," Kistle said. "They did a great job for us."