Dredging reveals no 'extraordinary' objects in Capaha Park Pond

Hundreds of baseballs and hundreds of frisbees, that's what Cape Girardeau Public Works director Stan Polivick said crews found among the sludge drained from Capaha Park Pond. The director said, despite some rumors swirling, they didn't find anything "extraordinary" following the dredging.

"Some years ago, reportedly, there was a young couple, and apparently the young lady got mad at the young man and took off her engagement ring and threw it in the pond," Polivick said. "We didn't find either."

The dredging of the pond occurred over the summer. Sludge build-up reduced the original depth from 15 feet to around 5.

The project — that was years in the making — is moving along well, Polivick said. It includes the complete revamping of the pond itself with the installation of fish habitats and sediment forebays. The improvements also extend to installation of sidewalks, plants and lighting around the pond.

Zoellner Construction Co. Inc. — the contractor heading up the project — has completed work below the surface and is now working on renovations at ground level. Polivick said the stage of the project Zoellner is in will allow work to be mostly unhindered by weather delays, save for consecutive days of heavy rainfall making the ground muddy.

Currently, crews are in the process of planting and electrical work. Polivick said he expects sidewalk work to begin soon.

The pond will be refilled naturally with rainwater. He said he expects the pond to fill up relatively quickly once the area starts getting some rain. A relatively large area drains into the pond, Polivick said.

"We're not thinking that we're gonna start opening fire hydrants to fill up the pond," Polivick said.

Once full, the Missouri Department of Conservation will stock the pond with fish.

The improvements themselves are expected to be complete by the end of the calendar year and the pond to be filled sometime next winter, pending weather, Polivick said.