The West Tisbury selectmen said this week they will move ahead with a comprehensive watershed study for the Mill Pond, putting the question of whether to dredge the historic pond on hold — at least for now.

The fate of the pond and whether to dredge it has been the subject of heated discussion in town for the past year.

West Tisbury selectmen this week called for a comprehensive study of the Mill Pond watershed before any decisions are made about dredging the historic pond.

At their meeting Wednesday, the selectmen asked the Mill Pond committee to draft a warrant article for a special town meeting in November that would include details of the scope of work needed to study the watershed system. The watershed includes Mill Pond, Mill Brook, Tiasquam River, Priester’s Pond and Scotchman’s Lane.