Cleaning and refurbishing the pond at Saumarez Park is cost prohibitive, at an estimated £100,000.
The duck pond at Saumarez Park has suffered during the summer heatwaves and is stagnant and unclean.
One contributor on a local social media platform said they had seen three dead fish in it this week and described the water as 'sludge.'
It has happened before, during the hot summer of 2022, but then volunteers cleaned it.
Island FM contacted the States, as landowner, after being told that full refurbishment could cost in the region of £100,000.
Director of Natural Environment, Jim Robinson, says that is the figure he has heard:
"A local firm has indicated that the restoration of the pond would cost over £100,000, which would include dredging a large amount of silt, improving the surrounding drainage and installing devices to improve aeration, but instigating this would impact on the other services which we deliver.”
He says budget pressure means they have little option but to wait for it to refill and become clean over the winter:
“With ongoing pressure on States’ budgets, there have been real term cuts to the budgets for Saumarez Park in recent years, including a significant reduction in 2026.
"Simply refilling the pond, encouraging volunteers to help, or asking people not to feed the ducks wouldn’t be sufficient to significantly improve the current issues with the pond, following the long dry period we experienced.
"However, with the recent rain and with more rain forecast, this will help alleviate the immediate problem."
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