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3. MAJOR RESTORATION GOALS

3.1. Maintain an Open-water System While Improving Island and Wetland Habitat.

The current pond area includes about 7 acres of open water, one small, low island, and a small amount of shoreline wetland. We recommend preserving the open water area and shoreline wetland, while slightly enlarging the island, and constructing an offshore diked wetland adjacent to or contiguous with the island. The combined size of the island and offshore diked wetland would not exceed 0.5 acres and together these developments would not significantly reduce the amount of open-water habitat.

3.2. Restore the Clear-water Condition.

Currently the pond water is highly turbid during warm weather. This turbidity is attributable to the high phosphorous content and fertility of the water, which produce excess blooms of algae. The goal would be to restore the clear-water condition by reducing phosphorous to non-problem levels and reestablishing a plant and animal community that would discourage excess production of algae.

3.3 Improve Biodiversity.

The goal is to improve the health of the pond ecosystem so that it supports a diverse and productive community of native wading and water birds, warm water fishes, turtles, frogs, toads, aquatic insects, zooplankton, other benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates, and aquatic plants. Amphibian diversity would be enhanced with new-diked wetland breeding habitat. The diked wetland habitat and improved island habitat would also support increased diversity and quantity of desirable native emergent and submersed vegetation.

3.4. Support High Aesthetics.

The restored pond would be enjoyable to look at and experience in any season. Touching the water would feel good, rather than slimy.

3.5. Support Quiet Recreational Uses.

We encourage continued quiet community uses of the pond, e.g., for hiking, wildlife viewing, ice skating, or just sitting. The pond should be a biologically interesting and restorative place to walk through, sit by, or poke around in. We do not support changes that would contribute to increased human impact and degradation.

3.6. Support Enhanced Educational Uses.

As an urban nature center, and particularly as an area owned in large by the Ann Arbor Public School District, Thurston Pond should offer exciting and rewarding opportunities for environmental education, science experiments, and nature study. Meeting goals 3.4 and 3.5 should significantly enhance the educational resource value of Thurston Pond.