PORT ANGELES – The city of Port Angeles is taking steps to curb regular flooding at the ponds on the west side of Port Angeles

The flooding of the Lincoln Park Pond often causes costly repairs and delays for using the nearby ballfields at the park. The Big Boy Pond, near Stevens Middle School, has flooded regularly and has caused damage to properties in the neighborhood.

The city will pay 138-thousand dollars to a consultant to investigate and try to resolve the recurring issue.

Parametrix, Inc. will provide the city with an engineering assessment and alternatives to fix the problem.

Since the use of the ponds at Lincoln Park began in 1933, a relief gate has been used to avoid overflow. It helps drain excess storm water into a depression near Stevens Middle School named Big Boy Pond. But during some large rain events, Big Boy Pond will overflow. That floods nearby residential areas. A pump station was installed 23 years ago to move water from the pond to the city’s storm water system. But city staff say that no longer works effectively and the only available solution to prevent flooding has been to manually close the Lincoln Park Pond relief gate. Doing that allows excess storm water to flood the Lincoln Park ball fields.