Manito Park’s Mirror Pond is getting a makeover by spring 2020

SPOKANE, Wash. — Manito Park’s Mirror Pond has been green for a while… not with envy, but with algae.

Specifically, planktonic algae.

The organic material in the pond has broken down, causing high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. A large buildup of these results in algae blooms, which, in large amounts, can hurt the wildlife in the pond by removing oxygen from the water.

“Nobody really likes green water, that I’ve met, and what’s really important here, too, is we’re not going to have crystal clear blue water at the end of this,” said Nick Hamad, Landscape Architect for Spokane Parks and Recreation. “We’re going to have a natural body of water – it’s not going to be perfectly clear all the way through. But, it’s going to look a heck of a lot better than it does now.

In order to restore the pond, officials plan to remove the soil from the bottom of the pond. To do this, they will have to safely relocate the wildlife in the pond and remove the sediment from the bottom. They also intend to deepen the pond and prepare it for treatment, filtering out the excess phosphorus and nitrogen. Once they are done, it is simply a matter of reintroducing wildlife back to the pond.

Afterwards, there will be yearly inspections and treatment operations.

The new project will remove the copious amounts of algae and keep oxygen flowing within the pond, which is better for the wildlife and more pleasing to the eye.

The project will begin in fall 2019 and be finished by spring 2020.

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