Wisconsin Town’s ‘Pickle Pond’ Wasn’t Named After Pickles, But Named After Something Else That Floats

What's going on at Barker's Island? That's been the question asked several times by people who have been driving by and seeing workers busy. Heavy equipment can be seen on barges, working around the pond between the highway and the Barker's Island waterway.

This area is called Pickle Pond. Why did it get that name? It's because at one point sewage outfalls were located right in Pickle Pond. The Pickles, floaters, or "feces" were why they called this Pickle Pond. That's disgusting.

The pond was created in the late 1800s when the waterfront railroad was installed. Unfortunately, the pond has received waste and runoff from the railroad, roads, and the neighborhood. The city says that the historic contamination that has built up over the years has degraded the wildlife habitat and actually poses a health risk to the community. They've actually installed trail counters to see how many people access the area. The Osaugie Trail gets around 50 people per day in that area. They've also set up trail cameras to see how people are spending their time in that area.

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The Wisconsin DNR, City of Superior, and BNSF railway are working to clean up the contaminated sediment and restore fish and wildlife habitat at Pickle Pond.

They've actually installed trail counters to see how many people access the area. They've found that it's a good place to walk, run, bike, and fish.

The new design will have new openings, invasive species control, and areas for wildlife to nest and thrive.

The city also is considering a new name for Pickle Pond. I think that's a pretty good idea considering where the name came from.