The Project to deepen a portion of the Connecticut College Arboretum Pond ended successfully on October 19th when the excavators pulled out of the pond and it began to refill. Approximately one acre of the four acre pond was affected by the project, which will provide a section at the north end which will have about ten feet of water depth. Some material from the pond was used in the adjacent Outdoor Theater to raise the elevation of the rear section, thus improving audience site lines to the stage. A vigorous cover of new grass has been established and summer theater performances should be possible in 2008. The projects were funded by a bequest from botany major Pricilla Pasco ’39 and a matching grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The pond was originally created by the college in 1928 when a red maple swamp was dammed to create an opportunity for students to ice skate. With the formation of the Arboretum in 1931, trails and other features were developed with the pond as a focal point. Always very shallow, the new, deeper water creates a different habitat for plants and animals, and the students and faculty who study them.

Glenn Dreyer, Director