PROGRESS

This photo was taken by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources,  1972, in the early stages of development of the Montego Bay community. If you search back in the Blog's early archives you will see what this area was in 1932. Yes, it was a cove in the Assawoman Bay, with water that ebbed and flowed, plentiful hard and soft crabs, clams and flounder. Harbour Drive closed off access to the bay, and as the story goes this area became a swamp with mosquito that could "carry you away". 

I don't know if the developer was required to install a pump to bring in water into the pond, to satisfy environmental issues, nevertheless a pipe from the bay to the pond was installed along with an outfall pipe. The pond was now non-tidal, but salt water. Then the unthinkable happened: someone poured concrete into the outfall pipe rendering it useless. We had a period of heavy rains causing the pond to overflow its banks causing erosion all around the pond, but most significantly on Bahia where water eroded the shoreline up to the asphalt path. Property owners worried about their foundations. 

To make a serious problem even worse the water in the pond degraded. 

There you have the history of what is now Walkers Pond. It has taken years, but today I am happy to tell you that water now flows into the pond successfully from a new pipe and pump. Water ran into the pond for three days and nights giving the pond a good salt-water drink and flushing. Late yesterday afternoon the plumber opened the valve to the outfall pipe and water ran out the pipe, successfully, into the bay. It may not be exactly as nature intended, but this will work with nature's cooperation. 

More sand for the Bahia shoreline will be delivered in a week or two. Goody Hill is our benefactor. Once that sand is here we still have to get it spread so we can plant the aquatic grass so the sand doesn't wash away over the winter. Those winter storms can be brutal. 

It will be done and it will be beautiful!