Pond floods

I REFER to your article of November 30, 2006 regarding the 'possible pond flood' at Doctor's Pond caused by the outlet grill being covered with leaves. May I offer some facts regarding the maintenance of the pond.

The pond is checked several times daily (including weekends) by council staff. In times of heavy rain, additional checks are made to the pond by the Parish Emergency Committee members to ensure that the overflow is working.

On this day it was checked on at least four occasions. I assure Mr Willingale that it would not have overflowed as action would have been taken if any of these checks revealed a problem.

The pond is loved and cared for. It is subject to an annual 'health' check by a professional independent fishery company employed by the council.

When required, the pond is given a dose of a chalk substance to dissipate the vegetable matter on the bottom. This also helps with the waste matter deposited in the pond by wildlife.

The water quality is also checked by the Environment Agency, if any problems are revealed action is taken.

Doctor's Pond is in very good health. If it weren't there would not be the amount of fish in the pond that there is. Wildfowl would also avoid it. As a matter of interest, the fish are 'netted' every couple of years to keep the stock to a manageable level.

The fish that are removed are sent to other fisheries to grow on, this allows the fish in the pond to regenerate and keeps the fish stock healthy. The money raised from the sale of the fish pays for the professional services to keep the pond in good order, and thereby avoiding this cost falling on the council tax.

May I ask those persons who feed the wildfowl to do so with grain and not bread as bread bulks the wildfowl out without providing essential nutrition.

The dumping of 'unnatural' rubbish in the pond (traffic cones, drinks cans, plastic bags, etc.) obviously does not help the problem and endangers the genuine wildlife.

David Green

Deputy town clerk, Great Dunmow Town Council