Tibbetts Pond Restoration and Management Plan

Princeton Hydro was contracted by the Westchester Parks Foundation to produce a Restoration and Management Plan for Tibbetts Pond, located in Tibbetts Brook Park, Westchester County, NY. The pond consists of a larger lower basin and a small upper basin covering an area of approximately 14 acres, connected by a small stream. One of the first parks created in Westchester County, these waterbodies and the park proper are managed for recreational uses, such as fishing and hiking.

As with many waterbodies in the Lower Hudson River Drainage, the Lower Tibbetts Pond has experienced an infestation of the invasive floating plant water chestnut (Trapa natans) in recent years. This plant was observed to cover about 85% of the water surface at the peak of the growing season in 2020. Due to the impacts such severe infestations have on water quality, ecological health, visual aesthetics, and even human health, the Westchester Parks Foundation (WPF) expressed a desire to develop an updated approach to managing Tibbetts Pond prior to the planned complete elimination of the invasive plant via dredging. It was recognized that such management should be conducted in a scientific, pro-active manner and be based on the collection and assessment of consistent water quality and biological data. The plan consists of five main sections including historical data review, bathymetric survey, water quality assessment, hydrologic & pollutant loading analysis and an EPA nine-point based management plan.

The Restoration and Management Plan details the results of Princeton Hydro’s assessments of Tibbetts Pond and its watershed as they relate to impacts on the waterbodies’ water quality, ecological condition, and current uses. Using this data, both watershed based and in-lake impairments to Tibbetts Pond’s uses are identified, and recommendations for managing these impairments are provided.