In a bid to preserve the past and prepare for the future, an ambitious project has been launched to rejuvenate a historic pond near the Alton Mill.

The millpond and 14- foot waterfall were created when the Beaver Knitting Mill, now known as the Alton Mill, was built to provide power to run the equipment in the mill.

The Alton Millpond, an integral physical and cultural part of the village for the past 130 years, has deteriorated over the years, due to a number of causes.

They include silt buildup, storm sewer inflows from the municipal storm sewer and the simple passage of time.

The existence of the pond also warms the water, which is harmful to the coldwater fish habitat of Shaw’s Creek.

Organizers of the project warn that if no action is taken, the pond will be completely filled in within the next several decades.

Carp, a scavenging fish that has disrupted aquatic ecosystems in the United States and are currently threatening the Great Lakes, have also been discovered in the pond.

“Somehow, carp have got in there,” says Jeremy Grant, vice president of planning and development for the Seaton Group; owners of the Alton Mill.

“We don’t know how they got there, but it’s our goal to re-establish the aquatic environment that was there before.”

The Alton Millpond Rehabilitation Committee was established in June 2009 and has been working hard to develop a process to raise funds to study and fix up the pond.

The committee is made up of the owners of the Seaton Group, local citizens, Millcroft Inn & Spa, representatives of the Alton Village Association and Alton Grange Association, Town of Caledon representatives, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Credit Valley Conservation, as well as other environmental, fishery and green power representatives.

The project, which Mr. Grant says could eventually cost between $500,000 and $1 million, is more than the preservation of a local historic landmark.

As far as the ecosystem is concerned, the millpond and Shaw’s Creek are part of the Headwaters system.

Mr. Grant says the pond has been lowered to alleviate pressure on the dam, which is aging and weakening. As a result, water temperatures have increased.

There is also a recreation component.

Ideas for the pond include ice skating in the winter and an off-line swimming area in the summer, as well as trails, boardwalks and interpretive signs.

“That’s our ultimate wish list,” explains Mr. Grant.

“What we eventually have is dependent on the funding we raise.”

As well, there’s the potential for limited hydro electric power; enough, Mr. Grant figures, to power the lights in the Alton Mill.

This raises the question as to why there should be appeals for public fundraising for something that is, after all, on private property.

“What we’re trying to create is a public-private partnership so that, in the future, the public will have access to it,” says Mr. Grant.

“What we eventually achieve is that it become a public place.”

Since the plan is in its infancy, it is difficult to predict how long such a project would take to complete.

Mr. Grant has, however, ventured to guess it would be between two and five years.