Frog Pond full again, at least for now

By Mark Squibb

A family of ducks could be seen enjoying an afternoon swim at the Frog Pond this week.
It’s the first hopeful sign in two years that the beloved gully in Topsail may be returning to life after it ran dry following the installation of water and sewer lines on the street.
Residents in the area have been hopefully eyeing the water level, which has been near to normal for the past month or more.
The gully, home to ducks, frogs, and, in the wintertime, ice skaters of all shapes and sizes, dried up in 2022.
The Town has hired Stantec Consulting to assess the pond and investigate why it dried out.
The company’s first report confirmed what residents had believed all along — that the water and sewer work on Frog Pond Road diverted runoff and underground sources of water for the gully.
The recent presence of water in the pond, however, is not proof the issue has been resolved.
Property owner Randy Bell said the water level in the pond, which he attributes to spring melt and heavy rains, has decreased since last week, a sign the gully is still not holding water.
“It’s been replenished quite a lot, and if I thought it would stay that way, I’d be delighted, but this not going to stay that way, I don’t think, because they haven’t fixed the drainage issue and they haven’t found how it’s draining out,” said Bell.
Mayor Darrin Bent concurred with Bell’s assessment.
“Nothing really has changed, from what we can see,” said the mayor. “A year ago, it was about the same, and the water didn’t hold.”
Bent said Stantec is still monitoring the gully.
“They’re monitoring what’s happening up there, and it’s great to see water in the pond, but it is just a snapshot,” said Bent. “Stantec will need to monitor where the water is coming and going for about a year to get a good handle on it.”
Both men say they are hopeful that once the data has been collected and analyzed, a solution to save the gully will be found.
“In the meantime, we’ll just have to wait,” said Bent.