05/23/2026
The pond behind me is getting a haircut. Those pines have grown to a point (compare them to the excavator) to where they must be removed.
While personally I would much rather prefer a full wood line, the tap roots of those pines could cause an issue for the pond dam in terms of structural integrity.
In essence, it is smart, preventive maintenance.
The city maintains a number of ponds in order to best protect the residents.
This particular pond is almost 3 acres in surface area, and could potentially hold as much as 10 million gallons of stormwater runoff.
Having it removed from the drainage plan due to some tree roots would be incredibly unwise.
Folks that live on Inspiration, West St. Mary, East St. Mary, 19th, 18th, in Pecan Grove, in Barkley Park, in The Village, and along Mile Branch are protected to some degree by this pond (either directly, or indirectly).
In my view, that added protection is the prudent driver for the decision to cut.
While losing a strip of greenery is not what I would want personally, I believe this maintenance to be most warranted.
Have a great day!
