Thanks for Plowing the State Boat Ramp!

Thanks to the Sutton Town Administrator and Highway Dept for answering the MPA’s request to plow the State Boat Ramp. A number of residents on the lake brought it to our attention that they had helped people who were stuck at the ramp and on the ice (a Jeep thing!) The MPA, with safety in mind, asked the town to just a cleared path down and around. With last week’s storm the Highway Department’s heavy equipment was seen opening the ramp up and later that afternoon a fisherman was out on the ice. When I saw the superb job the town did, I thought “never mind a tow truck or the rescue squad, the Life Flight Helicopter can make it in!”

Today on Manchaug Pond

Ice melting, a winged visitor, and snowdrops in the garden on Manchaug Pond… Special thanks to the MPA member who sent in the photo of the swan in the channel!

Mass Voters Choose the Fisherman

Massachusetts voters chose the fisherman over the farm. We are disappointed. Waters Farm sits on the hillside of the watershed overlooking the lake, a gift from a past MPA secretary to the Town of Sutton used as a living history museum and representing a wholesome time of simple New England life…. but then again what can we say… here on Manchaug Pond we too like fisherman. I’ll leave up the Waters Farm slide show for a few more days. Here is the official release… on March 05, 2009, the Governor’s office released the following results to their contest:Massachusetts Citizens Select Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial to be Featured on a QuarterBOSTON– Thursday, March 05, 2009 – Governor Deval Patrick today announced the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial received the most votes from citizens throughout the Commonwealth to be featured on a new Massachusetts quarter created by the U.S. Mint. Governor Patrick announced the selection via his official Twitter feed, www.twitter.com/MassGovernor. The three alternate sites selected by voters are the Lowell National Historic Park, the House of Seven Gables in Salem and the U.S.S. Constitution. The state received 245,000 votes online at www.mass.gov to select their favorite nationally-recognized site to be featured on the new …

21 days: Dam Owner Risk vs. Wetlands Protection Act

Weds, March 4th another Public Hearing was held at the Sutton Conservation Commission for Manchaug Reservoir Corp’s newly revised Notice of Intent Operation and Maintenance Plan for the Manchaug Pond dam and reservoir. Two attorneys represented Interface Fabrics – one from the Boston law firm and the other from Interface’s Atlanta, Georgia corporate headquarters. Additionally, the attorneys presented 2 more documents: 1. a memo from their engineering firm Stantec addressing the MPA’s September testimony and 2. a Stantec memo looking at Manchaug Pond as a Great Pond. (Interface did not give the MPA a copy so I can’t give you details yet.) Bottom line: The Sutton Conservation Commission (SCC) voted to continue the hearing for the purpose of having a peer review of the revised Notice of Intent. SCC stated they understood MRC %Interface’s position with dam safety but needed “reasonable time to review” the revised NOI and assess the extent of the alternations to the resource. SCC has called for a peer review since last fall.MRC denied permission/did not consent to the peer review.SCC has 21 days to respond/rule. In the meantime Interface is to comply with the DEP order of May 2008 to put in the flashboards. SCC …

Water Level Public Hearing – March 4th – Sutton Conservation Commission

Weds, March 4th, 8:00 p.m. Sutton Town Hall before the Sutton Conservation Commission a public hearing to consider the NEWLY REVISED Notice of Intent proposed by dam owner. The new Operations and Maintenance Plan and Rule Curve Plan for Manchaug Reservoir calls for the reduction of the lake by about 55 acres and the waterlevel down by 3 1/2 to 4 feet. All interested individuals can attend. Written testimony/letters can be sent to the Sutton Conservation Commission, Sutton Town Hall, 4 Uxbridge Road, Sutton, MA 01590 As for today’s water level… I did notice the dam was opened Saturday – I would guess in anticipation of this snowstorm. So far we have 8 1/2 inches of snow here on Manchaug Pond. You can see by the weekend photo that the flow is coming from the low level gate. The water level is still lower than the spillway and the flashboards/stoplogs are not yet in.

Douglas Conservation Commission Mtg. – “What is the deal…”

Hello all! Yesterday’s commenter asks – Anonymous said… What is the deal with the MPA appearing before the Douglas Con. Con. on Monday Night? If you monitor the Town of Douglas’ website, checking out their meeting agendas, you’ll notice that yes indeed the MPA is on the agenda for tomorrow Conservation Commission meeting. “Why?” you ask. Well, I will be able to tell you more tomorrow. You see, the Commission sent a letter inviting the MPA to the meeting to “discuss conservation issues and guidelines pertaining to Manchaug Pond.” More to come…