In a bit of par for the course, leaders from the DeKalb Park District took steps recently to address the potential for public health concerns over the pond at Buena Vista Golf Course.

A pond dredging, as approved by the DeKalb Park Board in a 4-0 vote on Aug. 20, is not anticipated to interfere with course operations as golfers take to the green for the remainder of this season or the next.

Executive Director Paul Zepezauer noted the variables that the park district has to weigh to mitigate the public health concerns surrounding the pond.

“While some pond algae can be toxic, this pond is located in an area that doesn’t see regular foot traffic from anyone but golfers, so it’s relatively low risk for public health concerns,” Zepezauer said. “Although we certainly would not want anyone swimming in this pond. This is being addressed because it’s a long-term solution to remove the conditions that cause the algae.”

Year after year, algae begins to form in the pond, which Mike Siefken, the district’s golf maintenance superintendent, said is problematic, as it has prompted the park district to have to treat it every two weeks.

One such thing, he said, that’s helped is setting up an air diffuser to add oxygen to the water.

“But there’s so much sediment in that pond that the nutrients are just in abundance and that’s fueling all the algae that we have,” Siefken said.

Zepezauer said timing is of the essence for the park district.

“It’s not necessarily a clean process,” Zepezauer said. “If they’re not going to show up and be gone, there’s going to be a leftover pile of stuff that we have to deal with. That’s why I want to do it in the fall, because that way, by the time it dries out in the spring, we can hopefully get it out before the peak in the fall season.”

The park district has decided to contract with Necedah, Wisconsin-based Organic Sediment Removal Systems to perform the pond dredging for $126,825.

Zepezauer said the park district does not anticipate operations will be affected much, if at all.

“There will be at least one collection bag near the pond outside of the playing area that will be visible for about 6 months and will need to be reseeded once it’s removed, but that should be the extent of what affects operations,” he said.

Work on the pond at Buena Vista Golf Course is expected to get underway within the next 6 weeks.