FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Marty Jo Henry Manchaug Pond Association 508-476-7580 HEALTHY LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES COME TO SUTTON, MA You can have a beautiful yard without using chemicals that may harm children, pets and the environment. On April 17th the Manchaug Pond Association through a DEP funded 319 Grant will present a free Healthy Lawns and Landscapes Workshop led by Ann McGovern of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The workshop is open to everyone in the Blackstone Watershed and will be held at the Sutton Senior Center from 7 PM – 8:30 PM. To register for the workshop, email MPA319Grant@charter.net or call the Sutton Highway Department at 508-865-8743.Pesticides and lawn chemicals may have unforeseen impacts on human health and can move through the soil into drinking water supplies, ponds, streams and rivers. Children and pets are especially susceptible to harmful effects of pesticides because of their size. Birds and other wildlife suffer injury and even death from long term exposure to traces of pesticides in the environment.“With a few simple changes, you can have a beautiful lawn and landscape without the use of harmful chemicals,” notes Ann McGovern, Consumer Waste Reduction Coordinator for the DEP. “By developing healthy …
April 15th HEALTHY LAWNS & LANDSCAPES Workshop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Marty Jo Henry Manchaug Pond Association HEALTHY LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES COME TO SUTTON, MA You can have a beautiful yard without using chemicals that may harm children, pets and the environment. On April 17th the Manchaug Pond Association through a DEP funded 319 Grant will present a free Healthy Lawns and Landscapes Workshop led by Ann McGovern of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The workshop is open to everyone in the Blackstone Watershed and will be held at the Sutton Senior Center from 7 PM – 8:30 PM. To register for the workshop, email MPA319Grant@charter.net or call the Sutton Highway Department at 508-865-8743. Pesticides and lawn chemicals may have unforeseen impacts on human health and can move through the soil into drinking water supplies, ponds, streams and rivers. Children and pets are especially susceptible to harmful effects of pesticides because of their size. Birds and other wildlife suffer injury and even death from long term exposure to traces of pesticides in the environment. “With a few simple changes, you can have a beautiful lawn and landscape without the use of harmful chemicals,” notes Ann McGovern, Consumer Waste Reduction Coordinator for the DEP. “By developing …
Making Way for Spring
This past week’s warmer temps, torrential rains and the weekend’s high winds have caused the ice to totally disappear between the old causeway and the dam. The main part of the lake still has quite a bit of ice on it, but certainly not safe for any kind of sport. The high waterlevel and ice continues to raise havoc with docks around the lake’s shore. Inspite of the dam being wide open, the tremondous runoff from the watershed continues to bring the water level up. Here’s a photo of the lake just last week – the circles in the snow reminded me of those mysterious circles you read about in corn fields.
Yesterday Morning Photos
Yesterday morning saw a temperature of 16 degrees F, freezing the water which flows from the ledge of the watershed. Today is a bit warmer at 24, but still cold enough to put a skim of ice on the open water going through the Old Causeway. The waterlevel remains high, even with the dam open, twisting our docks out of shape. The high level will also give us very little weed control this summer.
Another Dam in the News!
http://helpsavethelake.com/photos.php http://www.wickedlocal.com/tauntongazette/obituaries/x1288316308
Snow Cover + Warm Temperatures + Rain = Runoff Problems
Manchaug Pond is fed by runoff from the watershed – not by springs. This means that the waterlevel of the pond goes up with precipitation and from the water that drains in from the surrounding yards, forests and hillsides. Today’s warm temperatures caused most of the 2 inch snowcover in the watershed to melt. With frozen and saturated ground and heavy rains, this brought a lot of water into the lake from the watershed. Of concern to the MPA are the problems which arise from this stormwater runoff: flooded roads, erosion, non-point source pollution of sediment, organic matter, road salt, etc. Our 319 grant will address 5 such problem sites around the lake. These photos taken today show just 2 out of over 20 non-point source pollution problem areas identified around Manchaug Pond. The 319 grant will address pipes such as this which go directly into the lake to be replaced with retention pools, stormdrains and other designs which will filter the stormwater before it gets to the lake. Eliminating these sources of pollution will greatly reduce aquatic weed growth and improve the quality of the waters of Manchaug Pond. Thanks to our 1st Vice President and 319 Grant Coordinator …
Lunar Eclipse on Weds., Feb 20th
While this photo was taken of a full moon over the YMCA Camp Blanchard on Manchaug Pond the evening of January 21st, this Wednesday will give us all plenty of opportunity – actual 3 hours and 26 minutes – to view and capture photos of a lunar eclipse. The eclipse will begin at 8:43 p.m. in eastern North America with totality or mid-eclipse being reached at 10:26 p.m. The moon travels west to east and is very visible in the evening/night sky from Manchaug Pond, especially in the early evening from areas 5,6,7, 8 and 1. Below are a couple of links from NASA which will aid your viewing – even instructions on photographing. Mid-eclipse can be particularly spectacular as the moon can take on a very vibrant red-orange glow. http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html If you do take a photo – please email it to me and I’ll share it with our readers.
Dam Open as Rain and Snow Continue
Pictures taken this morning as the dam was open has it has been this past week sending more white water out of Manchaug Pond and flooding the area below the dam.