Ribbon cutting held for Capaha Park pond

CAPE GIRARDEAU Mo. (KBSI) – It’s been a long and dedicated road when it comes to freshening up Cape Girardeau’s parks, and thanks to the parks, recreation and stormwater tax renewal initiative, the final phase of Capaha Park’s pond renovation is finally complete.

Salvador Mondragon is a Fishery Biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, and his department, along with the public works and parks and recreation departments are instrumental in the new and improved pond. He says there has been much positive feedback since finishing this project.

“Everybody that I’ve encountered really loves the new addition, the new improvements to Capaha Park pond.” Said Mondragon. “People love this project, this morning I was actually doing a private pond survey and one of the first questions that came up, “What’s going on in Capaha today?” And I explained we’re doing a ribbon cutting today, the project is completed.”

According to Mondragon, continuing to grow an aquatic plant community along the shoreline, is one of the many ways the departments will help keep a healthy ecosystem within the pond.

“We did a lot of habitat projects, we also did some improvements to the sidewalks, fishing docks. Basically, the depth of the lake, anything that would make better fishing opportunities for the community if Cape Girardeau.” Mondragon adds.

Parks & Recreation Director Doug Gannon says, “We dredged the pond back to it’s original depth and we included deep fishing holes that will improve the fishing habitat, provide better fishing to the pond.”

The culmination of the improved pond comes after the renewal of the parks, recreation and storm water tax in 2018, which passed with an 81% approval from the citizens of Cape. The tax renewal provides over 27 million in sales tax funds towards park improvements over a 15 year period. It also gives the staff for the Missouri Department of Conservation an additional way to enlighten the community of the importance of the pond’s ecosystem.