Mills Creek is now one of the most polluted in Bermuda

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11: The dark, milky-green water of the Pembroke Canal begins at the eastern corner of the dump.

It is one of the widest and greenest stretches of the two-mile channel from Glebe Road to Mills Creek.

And despite its stagnant smell, the Parson’s Road park and pond is a surprising haven for herons and ducks all year around.

This section was restored from the abandoned dump and wasteland in the 1990s.

“It is actually one of the best places to spot nesting birds in the whole of Bermuda,’ says environmentalist Dr David Wingate.

“It’s a classic example of what could eventually be accomplished along the entire two-mile canal route if new planning constraints were made mandatory for all new development or re-development.

“The canal was widened considerably leaving small islets for waterbird nesting and a broad parkland between the canal and Parson’s Road now accommodates a children’s playground and a basketball court.

“Surprisingly, this is also one of the best ponds for migratory waterbirds in fall and winter.”

Heading further west along the water’s edge the dense rushes provide the ideal habitat for nesting waterfowl while red eared slider terrapin scuttle for shelter amongst the reeds.

The canal narrows dramatically after the basketball court to make way for some derelict properties and the new TCD structure.

It goes behind the Salvation Army Shelter and follows the southern border of the dump before moving almost motionlessly under the old concrete bridge on Dutton Avenue.

Dr Wingate says: “That section is important because it links into the 10 acre open water pond and remaining marsh of the East Basin between Bernard Park and the abandoned 20 acre dump surface.

“It also provides a huge sump to hold runoff temporarily in major rain events.”

From there, the overgrown channel goes along the back of Dellwood Middle School’s field until it reaches Cedar Avenue where rubbish, bottles and even shopping trolleys have been dumped.

There is then an excavated tunnel running under Cedar Avenue that emerges close to Canal Lane.

Dr Wingate says: “This was the most crucial engineering change because it linked the drainage of the two marsh basins together, enabling Pembroke marsh east to drain into Mills Creek via the canal.”

As the canal emerges on the other side of Canal Road you get a glimpse of how picturesque it could look.

A well maintained path and grass verge border the channel and Saltus moms use the track to pick up their children from school.

But it quickly disappears out of sight behind the back of Saltus’s ample playing fields before popping up again on Woodlands Road.

From here the canal ducks and weaves along the Serpentine Road Industrial Estate and through the BELCO plant picking up pollutants along the way.

It’s difficult to keep track of this narrow strait of stagnant water amongst the warehouses and factories that border the channel until just before it reaches Pitts Bay Road.

The last stretch of the canal runs alongside the Mills Creek Industrial Estate towards the once plentiful waters of mangrove swamp.

And it is this area that has seen the most recent maintenance work including the construction of sluice gate at the entrance to Mills Creek to control the flow of the canal during times of flood.

The canal itself is reasonably wide and clear and it seems well maintained, with mangroves still bordering the northern edge.

But the ominous flood lines of Hurricane Emily still stain the side of the warehouses that neighbour the canal and provide a stark reminded of just how low much of the surrounding buildings lie.

Dr Wingate said: “I remember when I was young Mills Creek was full of life.

“There were Gray Snappers and two unique species of shell fish that are now extinct.

“Mills Creek is now one of the most polluted creeks in Bermuda.

“It’s still an incredibly important habitat but it’s empty compared to how it used to be.”