The Restoration of Aurora Pond

In my previous columns I described how Aurora Pond, the centerpiece of the newly established Udalls Cove Park, had nearly filled with silt by the mid-1980s, following the erosion of the adjacent hillside due to rainwater pouring down from the steep, surrounding streets. 

The Udalls Cove Preservation Committee started lobbying in 1986 for restoration of the pond, and the project was carried out in 1992, but it was a complete failure. During the excavation of a deepened basin for the pond, a thick layer of clay-like material was inadvertently removed. 

It was this layer that had allowed water to collect above it, and now the pond no longer held water. All that was left was a shallow mud puddle hidden by surrounding reeds.

With the disappearance of the pond named after our founder, Aurora Gareiss, its proper restoration became UCPC’s top priority. The organization worked with the city’s Parks Department and local elected officials to secure funding and develop a viable plan.

In 2000, the preservation committee submitted a detailed proposal laying out our recommended objectives and providing historical information about the size and location of the former pond. Later, the committee provided detailed comments on the city’s draft design.

For this second restoration attempt a new basin for the pond was constructed, but this time its bottom was lined with clay to replicate the original layer that had kept the water in the pond. The clay was covered with soil and appropriate native vegetation was planted. Gabler’s Creek, which flows through the Udalls Cove Ravine and past Aurora Pond, was re-routed into and through the restored pond, assuring a year-round flow of water.

Water from natural springs near the foot of the Long Island Railroad embankment also flows into the Pond. A viewing area adjacent to Sandhill Road with a rustic, Adirondacks-style railing allows pedestrians to stop and enjoy the vista. A series of trails allow a relaxing stroll around the pond and through this area of the park. Native species of trees, shrubs and grasses were planted all around the pond. 

Aurora Pond had been in need of restoration due to heavy siltation caused by decades of run-off from the steep slope to the west and the streets above. In order to prevent the same thing happening again, the gully down which storm water flows from Hillside Avenue into the Pond was entirely reconstructed. 

The gully was lined with large rocks built into a series of attractive terraces that formed little pools and waterfalls during a rainstorm. The rocks protected the soil below from erosion and by slowing down the water in these pools, much of the silt and sand carried down from the streets above settled out before reaching the Pond.

This second restoration of Aurora Pond was completed in 2006 and has been quite successful. The clay layer at the bottom of the basin has done its job well and the pond remains full of water year-round. Many passers-by stop at the pretty viewpoint and enjoy the footpaths around the pond. Turtles live in the pond, while herons, egrets, kingfishers and ducks visit from time to time. 

The project was not inexpensive. And, to be sure, there are still problems. Because Gabler’s Creek drains a suburban watershed where lots of homeowners and landscapers use fertilizer, the creek carries far more nitrogen and phosphorus – fertilizer – than is healthy. 

The consequence is that thick mats of unsightly algae often grow on the pond and, when they die and rot, rob the water of oxygen. Still, the pond that bears the name of the woman most responsible for the existence of Udalls Cove Park is once again its scenic centerpiece.