Manchaug Pond Foundation Land Conservation

Hobby Farming with Our Water Resources in Mind: STORMWATER

Posted March 13, 2024 We all live in a watershed (the area of land that drains into a certain waterbody like Manchaug Pond), so our daily activities at home, around the lake, at the campsite, and at the barn are something we need to think about when it comes to the lake and clean water. You may be surprised to learn that just like our lawns and landscapes, hobby farms can be a potential source of water pollution. Heavy rain storms can cause fertilizers, animal manures, and sediment to be carried into the lake, streams and wetlands.  Fertilizers cause excessive aquatic plant growth and algae blooms while animal manures not only act as organic fertilizers but also carry bacteria and sediment. So, what can you do? Learn more… check out this first in a series of newsletters geared to small farms and animal owners… Click the icon for a PDF of Fact Sheet 2.1: How Can Hobby Farms Be Sources of Stormwater Pollution? and visit our Hobby Farm website page and our Hobby Farm Facebook group for more information   ________________________________ This project has been financed with Federal Funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Massachusetts Department of …

Hobby Farming With Our Water Resources in Mind!

Posted March 6, 2024 We love our animals, gardens and pastures in the Manchaug Pond watershed – especially horses, donkeys, beef cattle, sheep, and chickens!  A 2020 watershed survey found close to 30 small hobby farms dot the landscape in this corner of Sutton, Douglas and Oxford. With water quality in mind, the Manchaug Pond Foundation is offering two new outreach programs to small farmers as part of a s.319 Nonpoint Source Pollution grant received from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. ~ The first is a series of 24 newsletters and 12 podcasts – Hobby Farming with Water Quality in Mind.   Our series is “for owners of ‘Hobby Farms’ – small scale farms operated primarily as a residential lifestyle – to provide their owners with the tools to develop and operate an environmental-friendly farm and promote responsible stewardship of both land and the environment.” Each Wednesday for the next 24+ weeks, we will release a newsletter on a topic of interest to backyard gardeners and animal owners which offers best management practices, options and solutions to farm and raise animals with our lake, streams and wetlands in mind.  Topics will go the gamut from planning your farm to understanding …

UPDATE: Enforcement Order & Fines Issued with Mumford River Affected

posted December 22, 2023 Sediment carrying runoff from the Oak Street Solar construction site in Douglas, Massachusetts has reached beyond Manchaug Pond and Stevens Pond further into the Mumford River. This morning at 10:00 a.m., visibly brown water was exiting the Stevens Pond dam to the village of Manchaug.  (full video can be viewed on the Manchaug Pond Facebook page) Since the first incident on December 11th, Manchaug Pond Foundation has been calling for immediate action be taken to stop the erosion and prevent further impacts to Manchaug Pond and its watershed, as well as Stevens Pond and the Mumford River. Information as to the scope of the area affected, the potential for further erosion beyond the lake’s causeway/channel and to watershed streams including the Douglas trout coldwater fishery, and to concerns for future water quality impacts, are being brought to local and state officials, agencies and regional organizations. Additionally, the MPF president provided public testimony before recent both Douglas and Sutton Conservation Commission meetings. The December 18th meeting of the Douglas Conservation Commission included a call for the company to put measures in place to prevent further erosion and runoff. (View at Douglas Cable You Tube)  A December 23 …

Tomorrow! Social & Volunteer Open House

Start the season on Manchaug Pond with the Social & Volunteer Open House! Catch up with lake neighbors and friends over a cup of coffee and pastry. Families, new friends, neighbors and lake users are welcome. As usual, we’ll come together in the Dining Hall of the YMCA Camp Blanchard facility on Manchaug Pond from 9:30 to about 11:00 a.m. or so on Saturday, June 17th. Over coffee and pastry catch up with lake friends and neighbors. Learn more about our lastest efforts for Manchaug Pond and the watershed. Our Vice President and s.319 Non-point Source Pollution Grant Coordinator will have an detail display of our roadside and ramp work. Bring the family as activities for children will be offered including Facepainting with Christine Z from 10-11. Check out MPF Logo Gear on sale which includes a wide variety of apparel and Manchaug Pond themed items from cribbage boards to baseball hats, tee shirts to fleece … lake photos,  wood Lake Art to order, playing cards, mugs, and more! Purchase your flares for the Lighting of the Shoreline, July 3rd at 9:00 p.m. or as Safe Boating equipment for your vessel. Register, sponsor, and volunteer for this year’s The DAM …

Hobby Farming with Our Water Resources in Mind: MAKE A PLAN!

Posted: Friday, May 12, 2023 Did you know?  Agricultural activities that cause non-point source pollution most generally occur in the absence of a conservation plan according to EPA.  How do you use your property?  You can conduct your farming activities in ways that protect water resources! Remember… we all live in a watershed (the area of land that drains into a certain waterbody like Manchaug Pond), so our daily activities at home, around the lake, at the campsite, and at the barn are something we need to think about when it comes to the lake and clean water. Do you understand your site and how to work with it? Is your farm, garden, or barn/coup area “stormwater friendly”? Do you know the Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can help? Learn more… check out this second in a series of newsletters geared to small farms, gardeners and animal owners… Click the icon for a PDF of Fact Sheet 2.2: How Can Hobby Farmers Protect Water Resources? and visit our Hobby Farm website page and our Hobby Farm Facebook group for all fact sheets and watch for our next in the series on Friday.  If you live in the Manchaug Pond watershed, …

Manchaug Pond Foundation Land Conservation

Got Horses? Donkeys? Chickens? New Outreach to Backyard Farms in the Manchaug Pond Watershed

Posted April 19, 2023 We love our animals, gardens and pastures in the Manchaug Pond watershed – especially horses, donkeys, beef cattle, sheep, and chickens!  A 2020 watershed survey found close to 30 small hobby farms dot the landscape in this corner of Sutton, Douglas and Oxford. With water quality in mind, the Manchaug Pond Foundation is offering two new outreach programs to small farmers as part of a s319 Nonpoint Source Pollution grant received from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. ~ The first is a series of 24 newsletters and 12 podcasts – Hobby Farming with Water Quality in Mind.   Our series is “for owners of ‘Hobby Farms’ – small scale farms operated primarily as a residential lifestyle – to provide their owners with the tools to develop and operate an environmental-friendly farm and promote responsible stewardship of both land and the environment.” Each Wednesday for the next 24 weeks, we will release a newsletter on a topic of interest to backyard gardeners and animal owners which offers best management practices, options and solutions to farm and raise animals with our lake, streams and wetlands in mind.  Topics will go the gamut from planning your farm to understanding …

Water Quality sampling equipment

Virtual Training for Cyanobacteria/Algae Water Quality Monitors

Manchaug Pond Foundation Leave a Comment

A virtual training will take place Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30 p.m. for cyanobacteria monitoring volunteers.  We invite all to join this informative presentation and the Manchaug/Stevens team offered by the Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative (WCMC). While volunteers are needed at Manchaug Pond, you may attend to just learn more about our efforts in water quality.  All are welcome and no experience is necessary. Contact us to volunteer and click here to register! Manchaug Pond Foundation enters the 4th year of monitoring with the WCMC giving tremendous baseline data and as one component to our organizations overall water quality program!  While Manchaug Pond and Stevens Pond do NOT have an algae or cyanobacteria problem, with past levels either at “not detected” or extremely low levels, we do monitor in order to learning more about the waters and the ecology of our lakes and to protect the health and safety of this water resource and all who enjoy. Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative: The Collaborative is a group of citizen science volunteers who work to better understand the diversity of algae and cyanobacteria in the lakes and ponds of Worcester County under the guidance of the City of Worcester.  Visit their website …