According to the DEC, an Orange County woman was ticketed for attempting to dig multiple trenches from a protected stream to fill a backyard pond.

On January 18, ECO Will Chomicki was on patrol when he noticed large piles of materials in a yard bordering Tin Brook. A closer look revealed that a large hole was dug in the yard with a trench leading toward the stream.

The officer spoke with the homeowner, and discovered that the woman was trying build a pond in her backyard.

Tin Brook is a class B trout stream, and a visit was scheduled on Jan. 25 with DEC habitat biologist Mike Fraatz to survey the damage and determine the best practices for clean up, for which the homeowner will be responsible.

The officer issued a ticket for disturbing a protected stream, returnable to the Town of Montgomery Court.