Ascarate duck pond will stay, county says

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The duck pond at Ascarate Park is here to stay. El Paso County officials decided to keep the pond after seeing strong public support.

Throughout the summer, residents discussed proposed improvements at the park with the county. Part of the plans included a proposed removal of the duck pond. The county said a voter-approved $4.3 million bond from 2024 will fund the proposed improvements.

Throughout the summer, the county hosted six meetings to gather community feedback on possible enhancements focusing on making the lake a better habitat for fish.

Beyond the duck pond, proposed plans included environmental assessments. The county said that would entail looking into the park's water quality, algae growth, water loss and other maintenance challenges.

The county said removing the pond would have addressed an increase in nitrogen levels and algae. Officials floated the idea of replacing the pond with sports fields, parking lots or picnic spaces.

Wednesday, a final input session resulted in the county deciding to preserve the pond.

"I feel like we should keep it clean, keep it how it is, just make sure it's well maintained," said Ivan Baca. "It's what brings people in."

The county's decision to keep the pond comes nearly five months after officials paused any decisions regarding the pond.