A Clean Pond at Berry Springs Park

Staff and volunteers were on the job Wednesday morning at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, one of several scenic parks in the Williamson County Parks Department system.   The park, on County Road 152, just east of Georgetown, might be known for its lovely grove of pecan trees, its abundant bird population, hiking trails and two very friendly donkeys, but a pond is also a sweet spot.  During the warmer months, however, the bottom of the pond tends to get clogged with invasive growth, including milfoil, duck weed and musk grass.   With work clothes in place, the 3-4 hour process began, using a boat to tow a large rake across the water.  On the opposite shore, the  heavy rake was dropped, sunk to the pond’s floor, then drug across that surface using a tractor.  From the banks, others used rakes attached to ropes, throwing them into the water to get what the big rake might have missed.   More than a few crawfish popped up, too, lovingly returned to their home.   Unless, of course, Max, lending a hand with his owner, John Beneat, happened to get to the little critters first.  Mostly, Max found frogs, adding to his protein intake.    In the end, the muck became part of a compost pile, to be used for mulch on upcoming parks projects.    It’s a sweet and quiet park.  Visit when you can.  These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.