It was just six years ago this month that the newly restored Grovers Mill Pond was reopened for public use. The lengthy restoration process had begun in 2004 with the reconstruction of the 400-foot-long earthen dam under Clarksville Road at its northern end. The pond itself was then dredged under the supervision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dredging deepened the pond to an average of about six or seven feet so that there would be plenty of water to support the growth of aquatic wildlife, including fish.
In fact, a highlight of the reopening celebration was the restocking of the pond with fish by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine himself. Also taking part were Congressman Rush Holt, County Executive Brian Hughes, and West Windsor Mayor Shing Fu-Hsueh. The restored pond featured several areas fitted with wooden stakes driven into the bottom and intended to encourage the spawning of fish. A small “sunning” platform was also added for the use of amphibians and birds.
As a nearby resident — I have lived about 120 yards down the road from the pond for a long time — I feel compelled to report on what has and hasn’t happened in the six years since we were visited by all those VIPs. Sometimes I get the feeling that very few people are taking advantage of what the pond has to offer. On the other hand, maybe it’s just as well that we aren’t overwhelmed with people waiting to get out on the water.
If there were a lot of boats, it’s likely that the waterfowl I like to watch would go elsewhere. So far this spring I have seen Canada geese, blue herons, swans, redhead ducks, mallards, and a mostly white duck I can’t identify. It could be a “domestic” duck, but I don’t know if they survive in the wild.
The restoration of the pond included a provision for boat launching at the northern end of the boardwalk at the waterfront of Van Nest Park. Just tow your boat into the parking lot on Cranbury Road, pull it on a dolly along the paved walkway to the water’s edge, and push it in. A rowboat or full-size canoe probably requires two people, but a kayak can be done by one. I’ve done it by myself several times — and that includes carrying it from my house — but only to the edge of the pond on Cranbury Road, not all the way to the park.
Overall it seems to me that boats are a rarity compared to what I expected. Once in a while in the last few years I’ve seen a rowboat with someone fishing. And I’ve seen people fishing from the shore along Cranbury and Clarksville roads. But I haven’t seen a canoe on the water in a long time. And I think the rowboats I’ve seen were launched from the side of Cranbury Road, not the park.
Motor boats with motors larger than those used to move a boat at a speed higher than that needed for fish trolling are banned on the pond. Back when the pond had been drained by owner Larry Dey in 1982, many people couldn’t wait for it to be refilled. As soon as it was the boats came back, including some that were launched from private docks on properties that bordered the pond.
The use of docks like that was legal as long as the owner of the water where it was didn’t object, that is Larry Dey. In effect, the dock’s owner also had legal ownership of the piece of the pond — water and bottom — under his dock. When the pond was given to the township by Mr. Dey, the owners of such docks had to sign “quit-claim” deeds to relinquish their claims of partial pond ownership.
One of the first things that happened after the water was back was water skiing. A group of teenagers decided that they would try it out. They launched a motorboat that was capable of speeds high enough to tow skiers successfully. Of course, most of the pond was still quite shallow then — two or three feet deep — so there was much concern that someone would be seriously injured if they fell from the skis and hit the bottom.
Nevertheless the skiers kept it up until the township put together an ordinance that banned it. The ordinance — which is still in effect — states that the largest motorboat engine allowed on the pond is 7.5 horsepower. That’s much too small for water skiing. The same ordinance states that motorboats cannot be operated between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Speaking of prohibitions, ice skating is, too. Even if the ice were a foot thick, West Windsor does not allow skating on Grovers Mill Pond. There was a lot of ice this past winter, but if you wanted to skate you had to go to Lake Carnegie, where, for a while, you could skate most of the way to Kingston.
In addition to fish, the pond has seen a modest comeback of turtles. I’ve only seen a few myself lately, but I hear there are both snappers and painted turtles. Many years ago — before the pond area was disturbed by local residents — there were many snappers there. Some that I saw were more than three-feet long. That’s big enough to pull you into the water if they got hold of your foot.
The painted turtles were very abundant and sometimes left the pond area to explore local residential properties. They were always crossing Clarksville and Cranbury roads, and they usually got across safely because there wasn’t much traffic. I saw quite a few on my lawn at times. They’re about six to eight inches long and have colorful red and yellow stripes on their legs and heads that look as if they’ve been painted on with a brush. The back of the shell has a pattern of yellow stripes. When I found one, I took it down to the pond.
There were also box tortoises, but they don’t live in the water. I had a couple of those in my backyard in the city when I was a kid. They actually hibernated in the winter by digging a hole in the dirt. Very educational to see if you were a would-be reptologist.
An important factor in the lack of fishing and boating on the pond is probably the changing population as West Windsor has become more developed as a residential community. There just aren’t many people living here these days who want to spend their time towing a boat or fishing from one. So be it.
And I haven’t even mentioned hunting. Back in the 1960s and ’70s you could always tell that hunting season had started when you heard the early morning reports of the shotguns along the waterways — mainly the Millstone River and Big Bear Brook. These were the favorite places for people to hunt duck and geese. Other huntable game in the township included deer, fox, coyote, pheasant, and wild turkey. But there aren’t many of these still around, and hunting in the township is subject to very severe restrictions, anyway, so few people do it these days. I haven’t heard a shotgun in many years.
Just a couple of days ago I got up shortly after dawn and saw four young deer walking casually down my road. They were just taking their time, nibbling a little grass now and then, but mainly just inspecting the neighborhood. As they disappeared into the woods at the end of the road I could imagine them agreeing that the forest and open space they preferred was not to be found in this neighborhood.
Maybe the Howard Hughes folks could make a home for them in a wildlife refuge or fenceless “zoo” out their way. The square mile their property takes up in our township couldn’t be put to better use.
