Wild Duck Pond Ecological Restoration

PROJECT STATUS

Planning

Design

Construction

Completed

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Wild Duck Pond is a man-made lake
constructed sometime before 1927 based on
historic maps. Early County Park
Commission reports indicate that the first
Bergen County Park opened in 1952 and
included the Wild Duck Pond. The 1952
Bergen County Park Commission Annual
Report indicates the “Ridgewood Duck
Pond” was flooded for winter ice skating.
Over the years, the Wild Duck Pond at
Saddle River County Park has been a
beloved Bergen County landmark. However,
in recent summers, the water levels of the
pond have been unstable. The Parks
Department responded to these concerns
by engaging an engineering firm that
specializes in ecological restoration to assist

Project Information

Budget:	$1.7 million
Location:	Saddle River County Park 1133 E Ridgewood Ave Ridgewood, NJ 07451

with renovating the Duck Pond. The goal of the restoration is multifaceted: to improve pond
water retention, remove invasive species, and repair the pond’s ecology to create conditions for
a sustainable, healthy habitat for native plants and animals.
Consistent with the 2019 County Parks Masterplan, this ecological restoration will showcase
several environmental controls, such as stormwater best management practices. A new pond
liner and at-grade pump system will provide stability in the water surface elevations. New
wetland and aquatic habitat will be implanted within the existing drainage channel and within
the pond to support native wildlife. All of these steps will have the overall effect of restoring
wetlands and establishing conditions for a diversity of native flora and fauna.

PROJECT TIMELINE

December 2017	Proposal solicited from ecological restoration firm
April 21, 2021	Board of Commissioners awards construction contract to Earthworks, Inc. (Reso #269-21)
July 12, 2021	Construction begins
August 20, 2021	Groundbreaking ceremony
October 12, 2022	Ribbon cutting ceremony

COMMUNITY ADVOCATES

Several organizations have written letters of support for the project, including the Village of Ridgewood, the Hackensack Riverkeeper, Fyke Nature Association, and the Bergen County Audubon Society.