Port Charlotte's Ollie's Pond Park drought raises local concerns over wildlife

PORT CHARLOTTE - Ollie's Pond Park is facing a severe drought, leaving locals concerned about its condition.

Residents say the once-beautiful pond is now overgrown with weeds and lacks open water.

Patricia Johnston, a Port Charlotte resident, said, "It's a great place to walk. I've been walking there for years. It's one mile around and it's just beautiful views, or it used to be beautiful views of the pond."

Sylvia Shirley, another local, added, "We've seen it go from open water in 2020 to now, and the pond is only, the open water is only about maybe a quarter of the entire pond."

Anita Caruthers expressed her frustration, saying, "There's nothing to observe because the pond, they've let the pond overgrow so much that there's nothing but cat tails and willows."

The overgrowth is affecting the wildlife, despite the park being named after Ollie Hewitt, a beloved birder and volunteer for the Peace River Audubon Society.

Caruthers said, "We've got spoon bills that come out there. I'm just it's really a neat, neat place, but they're doing nothing with it and improving it. How I don't understand."

Johnston added, "The weeds were so high in front of the bench, they moved the bench over so you could see water, and now that you can't see hardly anything, the weeds are, like, eight feet tall, and it's just getting choked out, and it's a shame they're not doing anything about it."

Charlotte County's community services director explained that this overgrowth is a natural occurrence during Florida's dry season and the park is functioning as it should.

However, residents like Shirley hope to see the park restored to its former glory.