Bloomfield Already Cleaned Halcyon Pond Once. This Fall's Work Goes Below the Water.

"The pond has drastically improved since the start of the season," the technicians from Solitude Lake Management reported after taking water samples at Halcyon Pond on July 15, 2025. They also noted that "the water lilies look extremely healthy and are starting to bloom." The Township of Bloomfield's public works department passed that update along, and Patch reported it that November.

About fourteen months later, the township described the same pond very differently. "Halcyon Pond, a man-made water feature, has experienced significant deterioration over time, including nearly two feet of sediment buildup and damage to its liner and structural components," it said in the announcement Patch published on Oct. 6, 2026.

Both statements are accurate, and they describe two separate problems: the water, and the basin holding it. If you walk the path along Parkway West, that explains why the township is draining the pond completely this fall when it already worked on the water last year.

What last year's fixes could reach

Halcyon Park covers 2.28 acres at 84 Parkway West, between Berkeley and Florence avenues. The township's parks listing calls it a passive recreation area with seating, a lighted walking path, a pond and a decorative fountain. In February 2025, the Department of Public Works & Park Maintenance wrote that the path "is perfect for a daily stroll."

That year's work, in order:

• May 2025: The department announced that, as directed by its pond management vendor, it would drain the pond and refill it with clean, fresh water "to help improve overall water quality," and called the work maintenance.
• July 2025: DPW partnered with Solitude Lake Management to monitor the water. After the July 15 sampling and the "drastically improved" report, crews added more water on Solitude's recommendation.
• November 2025: A Solitude team used a hydro-rake to pull dirt and debris from the pond. The department called it "the first of several steps we are taking to restore the pond and move it toward a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future," according to Patch's Nov. 19, 2025 report.

Each of these steps worked on what was in the pond: the water, the plants and debris near the surface. None of them reached the bottom or the sides. A refill puts fresh water into the same basin, and a hydro-rake clears debris but doesn't rebuild a liner. The November post said those steps were only the first of several.

What the 2026 plan reaches that they couldn't

The township said the problems behind poor water quality and reduced depth were nearly two feet of sediment and damage to the liner and structural parts. In a man-made pond, sediment takes up space that should hold water, which reduces depth. A damaged liner means the basin itself can't be relied on. Clean water poured over both problems leaves them in place.

According to TAPinto Bloomfield, the restoration was scheduled to begin Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. DPW is leading it with Solitude Lake Management under New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection guidelines. The work has four phases:

1. Wildlife management. Following state rules, crews will humanely remove the non-native goldfish and koi and safely relocate the turtles before major work starts.
2. Drawdown and sediment removal. The pond will be fully drained so crews can dredge the sediment and restore its original depth.
3. Infrastructure repairs. Crews will repair and reinforce the liner, retaining walls, electrical systems and filtration components.
4. Refill and restocking. The pond will be refilled, planted with aquatic vegetation and stocked with state-permitted fish species to establish a balanced ecosystem.

Only phase two looks like last year's work, and even that goes further. The 2025 plan called for draining the pond so it could be refilled. This time it's being drained so crews can dig out the sediment and get to the liner. The goldfish and koi that have lived in the pond won't be coming back, because the restocking calls for state-permitted species.

TAPinto reported that Mayor Jenny Mundell called the project a long-term investment in local infrastructure and environmental health that addresses persistent community concerns. Third Ward Councilwoman Sarah Cruz, who supported the earlier benches and plantings around the pond, called it a critical step for the neighborhood. The township's release says the earlier upgrades included new benches, garbage cans and planting resources around the pond.

A pond with a longer record than its problems

Neighbors have looked after this pond for decades, and the repair list fits that history. The Halcyon Park Neighborhood Association says the early-20th-century neighborhood was built around two lakes. The smaller one, Shell Lake, was later filled in, and the larger Lake of the Oaks is the pond you see today. According to the association, Halcyon Park was found eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Two years before that, in 1993, residents formed the Halcyon Park Environmental Committee. It installed the circulation pump and fountainhead, a raised flowerbed and shrubs, and a flagpole. The committee later became the neighborhood association, which describes its mission as working with DPW to maintain and expand the park's amenities.

The pond's condition has also been a recurring topic at town meetings. At the first Third Ward community meeting of 2022, residents asked about park upkeep and problems with the pond, and the mayor said DPW would clean it and a koi specialist would assess how to revitalize it, as TAPinto Bloomfield reported that March.

Put those events in order and they track the same pond aging over time: a fountain pump installed in the 1990s, cleaning promised in 2022, an announced refill and hydro-raking in 2025, and now repairs to the liner, retaining walls, electrical systems and filtration. Several of the items on this fall's list are the kind of equipment that residents' 1993 committee first put in place.

What the township hasn't announced yet

As of Oct. 12, no public update has followed the early-October announcements. Here's what is still open:

• Progress. Oct. 7 was the scheduled start. Nothing published since confirms that fish removal, turtle relocation or the drawdown has started.
• The path and benches. The township asked residents for patience as the work begins but hasn't said whether the lighted walking path and seating will stay open or be fenced off.
• Timing. The township says the pond will be refilled after repairs and final approvals. It hasn't given a duration or a completion date.
• The animals. The release says the fish and turtles will be removed or relocated but doesn't say where they will go.

The best places to watch for updates are the township's press releases at bloomfieldtwpnj.com and local coverage from TAPinto Bloomfield and Patch. Patch's 2025 coverage was based on the public works department's own social media updates.

Where the rest of fall's outdoor calendar lands

While the pond is drained, Brookdale Park, the Essex County park shared with Montclair, has a full fall program. The Brookdale Park Conservancy and Essex County Parks have these dates on their calendars:

Essex County Parks lists Strut Your Mutt as free. The Brookdale Park Conservancy calendar has details for the art show, the volunteer mornings and the tree walk. The Conservancy calls Cam Kanterman "a very knowledgeable guide," so the Nov. 7 walk is a good option for anyone who usually spends fall mornings at Halcyon Park.

Closer to the center of town, the Bloomfield Community Farmers Market at 90 Broad St. runs Tuesdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Oct. 27 is the last scheduled date of the 2026 season. Live music is scheduled for the last Tuesday of each month, so the final market should have it.

Once phase four is finished, the pond will have new aquatic plants, state-permitted fish and its original depth restored. It will also have a repaired liner, retaining walls, electrical systems and filtration, none of which the 2025 work could reach.

If you own a home near Halcyon Park and want to know how a long-running neighborhood project like this one fits into your home's value, Orsini Real Estate & Marketing Group follows changes like this street by street across Bloomfield. Request a Free Home Valuation, and we'll give you a clear, local read on where your home stands this fall.