Damaskin watched workers remove the gunk at the bottom of the drained Public Garden Lagoon today. When done, they'll refill the small pond with clean water that will hopefully end the threat of mass duck die-offs caused by botulism toxin in the water that had been caused, indirectly, by Covid-19 - by forcing the cancellation of the Swan Boats and their paddles, which normally would oxygenate the water, which inhibits the bacteria.
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There seems to be a reasonable answer here
By Ari O
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 3:06pm
Bring back the Swan Boats!
Maybe just don't carry any passengers. But hire a couple of the swan boat operators to paddle around the Lagoon several times a day, which would probably be a heck of a lot cheaper than doing this again. (Not that it helped in 1954, when there was a similar duck die-off, but no pandemic that year.)
Also, separating riders, outside, for a few minutes at a time, would probably be a pretty safe attraction. Waiting in line might be the worst part. So adding a couple of riders might be pretty okay. Can't be worse than, say, eating inside a restaurant.
The Swan Boats are a treat, and it's amazing that the business has gone on for nearly a century and a half, with the same family ownership, and that it still costs just $4 to ride.
Floating fountains like DCR
By anon
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 3:20pm
Floating fountains like DCR uses on parts of the Esplanade to discourage cyanobacteria would be a worthwhile investment. They could stay on all hours while the Swan Boats aren't operating to keep the water super oxygenated and clean.
<sniff>
By PerryD
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 3:10pm
One of those pictures that you can smell...
I wonder what PPE is being used
By SwirlyGrrl
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 5:31pm
This would be a good job for a N95 mask ... as this stuff dries it will become airborne exposing workers to deity knows what.
right
By cybah
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 7:19pm
I was hauling away some plaster yesterday and I wish I had an N95 mask for that.
They really do block everything. The paper ones dont cut it for heavy dust.
The time to hesitate is through
By Will LaTulippe
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 5:41pm
No time to wallow in the mire.
Save the Swanboats for next year
By anon
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 6:26pm
Only a Crystal Ship will work here.
Try now
By adamg
Mon, 08/24/2020 - 12:00am
We can only lose.
Why isn't it deeper?
By Parkwayne
Sun, 08/23/2020 - 9:15pm
It would still be gross like the one at Larz Anderson but less likely to be fatally gross. Just a water capacity thing?
Probably not deeper as
By anon
Mon, 08/24/2020 - 6:50am
Probably not deeper as precaution against the Houghton's Pond Effect (drownings).
If I'm not mistaken, the
By Scratchie
Mon, 08/24/2020 - 9:56am
If I'm not mistaken, the Public Garden is where the landfill part of the Back Bay begins. So there probably isn't a lot of room to make it any deeper.
Going deeper might result in
By anon
Mon, 08/24/2020 - 11:51am
Going deeper might result in brackish groundwater mixing with the lagoon water.
Great
By Parkwayne
Mon, 08/24/2020 - 2:50pm
Wouldn't that mean we'd get a lagoon full of brine shrimp and flamingos?
BRB going to lobby the Parks Dept. to approve my Flamingo Walker attraction where a bright pink AT-ST type walker painted like a flamingo strides through the lagoon carrying tourists.
Don't @ me ornithologists and Wookiepedia editors.
That's correct
By Former Westroxer
Mon, 08/24/2020 - 12:35pm
Charles Street was pretty much the riverbank prior to Back Bay getting filled. Doesn't mean they couldn't make the lagoon deeper; they probably didn't because it wasn't meant to be anything more than an ornamental/recreational thing.
What do you mean?
By Parkwayne
Mon, 08/24/2020 - 12:41pm
The Garden is surrounded by buildings with basements much deeper than a 5' pond.
I assumed it was reduce the amount of drownings of incapacitated people.