Tonight’s Meeting Agenda- Douglas Conservation Commission

Douglas Conservation Commission Douglas Municipal Center29 Depot StreetDouglas, MA 01516Main Phone: (508) 476-4000 Fax Number: (508) 476-4012 (Click on the title of this post to be linked to their website) 6/15/2009 – Agenda Postby mdc » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:26 am7:00 PM CONSERVATION BUSINESS1. Request for a Certificate of Compliance: Gadoury Homes, LLC, 103 Franklin Street2. Request for a Certificate of Compliance: Douglas Properties, LLC, Hemlock Street 7:20 PM PUBLIC HEARING CONTINUED: DOUGLAS CAMPMEETING ASSOCIATION (NOI)25 South Street 7:30 PM PUBLIC HEARING: GUARANTEED BUILDERSAND DEVELOPERS, INC. (NOI)93 Davis Street 7:45 PM PUBLIC HEARING: MASS. DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION& RECREATION (NOI)Wallum Lake 8:00 PM PUBLIC HEARING CONTINUED: MUMFORD RIVERRESERVOIR COMPANY (NOI)Whitin Reservoir Dam, Northwest Main Street 8:30 PM PUBLIC HEARING: MANCHAUG RESERVOIR CORPc/o INTERFACE, INC. (NOI)Torrey Street*Application Withdrawn

Saturday’s MPA Social

It was very nice to see a good many of our lake neighbors once again! With a higher seasonal population of property owners (not to mention the campers!) who come from far and wide, this very informal event allows us to chat over a hot cup of coffee and catch up on lake friends and neighbors as well as discuss where we are as a lake community. Welcome to our new neighbors and members from Area 2 and Area 4 and friends from the campgrounds – I’ll be sending you more in the mail! Our 319 Stormwater Grant Coordinator, Marty Jo, also had our exhibit with photos and actual plans of the work being done around the lake to improve our water quality and reduce aquatic weed growth. Plenty of handouts were available on how-tos/best management practices around the home with the lake in mind as well as booklets and floating key chains from the DCR Lakes and Ponds Program. Also available was a very abbreviated flow chart on the waterlevel issue identifying the short-term and long term goals and the directions our dam owner has taken Manchaug Pond with their various filings and lawsuits with and against local and …

If you see this camper… Wish Him a Happy Birthday!

The YMCA was hopping this afternoon as the Captain of “Dah Barge” celebrated his 50th birthday with a bang of a party! While talking with the campground owner, we recently met this faithful blog reader and lover of Manchaug Pond. The owner of “the tri-hull” (as my husband calls his boat!) is often seen cruising the lake with his family and friends. It is they who suggested we highlight his special day on the blog! So tip your hat this weekend to the tri-hull and wish him a very Happy Birthday! and many more on Manchaug Pond!

Hex Hatch

One of the best indicators of the health of a lake are the bugs that call it home. Last night there was a significant Hex hatch (Hexagenia a.k.a. Mayfly) and this morning I counted over 120 that were resting on the screens and doors of my house. According to my neighbor Harry, this is the largest hatch he has seen during his 75 years on the lake. These Mayflies are a great indicator that our lake is healthy. Click in the title for a link to the EPA Bioindicators information. Mayflies are loved by Trout as well as the local Robin who has been plucking them off the deck.

It’s Raining Here on Manchaug Pond!

It is finally raining here on Manchaug Pond- not heavy at all but it has been forecasted for the next few days so we should have some gain. If you’ve been working around the yard, you know the soil is dry, so the rain is welcomed by both the gardens and the lake. And I will add that we usually do get a good rain each and every year when the peony is in full bloom! Last night I took a photo of this rock to show how low we still are compared with our actual historic levels. In spring, this rock is submerged just peeking out of the water. Here’s a look at the flashboards last night. And the boards again on May 15th. You’ll note the small red tags on the left number each board. It appears that board # 1 was not installed in the dam, just boards numbered 2-7 so we should see another board showing to get a true view of where actual historic levels should be. (Please correct me if my sources are wrong.) Don’t forget to sign up for the June 11th workshop by Audubon and Trout Unlimited and on June 17th for …

Public Access Boat Ramp in Sutton Meets the 21st Century

The Sutton Highway Department has been hard at work the past couple of weeks bringing new technology to the Public Access Boat Ramp at Torrey Road. These improvements are possible through the federally funded EPA/DEP grant (Clean Waters Act s. 319 Non-point Source Pollution Grant) written, obtained and managed by the MPA to address stormwater and pollution runoff into the lake. The town is reimbursed for all materials used in the project. As I understand it, the two old storm drains brought stormwater to a pipe which ran under the length of the parking lot to a ditch which led directly into the lake. These weeds at the outlet are the direct result of that runoff. In addition to updating the two stormdrains/catch basins, this filtering pool will catch the nutrients before they enter the lake. Grass seed has been planted with a straw mat put down to prevent erosion until the grass takes hold. The existing weed bed in the lake lies beyond the temporary hay bales. This area is designed to catch rainwater running directly on the pavement of the parking lot. The center is the location of a “rain garden” which will be planted later in the …

Comments on The Value of Water…

Do you check back on earlier posts to read the comments left by other readers? They can be quite interesting and they allow me to answer questions, going into greater detail. Comments can be anonymous, signed with your name, or a pen name. The original post and the thread of comments below raise quite a few side topics we could explore… read on and stay tuned! Comment if you like… Here’s a thread from “The Value of Water: Part One”5 comments: Anonymous said… Writer, What is your feelings on how this decesion of the Reservoir Watershed is and how this could effect Lake Manchaug? Does this mean the lake is possibly going to face the low levels again and suffer fish and other species loss in the near future? Thank you for a response. June 03, 2009 9:47 AM Corresponding Secretary said… I do not see the decision of Whitin’s district having an effect on Manchaug Pond. The care and preservation of Manchaug Pond is under the watchful eyes of the Manchaug Pond Association, MassDEP, MassWildlife, Mass Office of Boating and Fishing Access, the Sutton Conservation Commission, Douglas Conservation Commission, Senator Moore, Rep. Kujawski and Rep. Callahan and many others. …

National Audubon Society Honors Donna Williams

Last year at the MPA Spring Social, our guest speaker Donna Williams spoke of ways we could further protect Manchaug Pond and the Blackstone River watershed of which we are a part. Donna wears many hats in her service to the environment and this river system: as conservation advocacy coordinator for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, as President of the Blackstone River Coalition (of which the MPA is a member), and as vice chair of the Corridor Commission. Back in March we learned that she was featured along with the river she works so hard to restore in the March/April issue of Audubon Magazine of the National Audubon Society. Check it out! http://audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite0903.html

Trout Stream Magic! A Hands on Workshop

Did you know at least one tributary feeding Manchaug Pond is documented by Mass Wildlife as a “significant coldwater fisheries resource” supporting native brook trout populations? (photo courtecy of Trout Unlimited) A 2008 electrofishing survey recorded 120 native brook trout as well as white suckers, yellow bullheads and blacknose dace. (MPA file photo June 2008) If the presence of brook trout is old news to you, you may be interested to know that the Assistant Director of MassWildlife/Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Programs, Dr. Thomas French,PhD, submitted testimony to the Sutton Conservation Commission during the SCC public hearing process stating that last year’s survey team found “that the drawdown had created a disconnect between the stream and the pond…. Therefore, the project must not in any way diminish the ability of the river or the tributary to support coldwater and stocked trout species.” If you are interested in learning more about our coldwater fisheries and how to protect them, this workshop if for you! Trout Stream Magic! Join us for a two-part program to learn about native brook trout streams – our most pristine waterways – and how to protect them. Trout streams, or cold water fisheries, contribute the highest …

The Value of Water: Part one – Vote of the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District

83 yea, 5 nay was the vote last night of the members of the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District to purchase their dam at a cost of $320,000. I am told the Whitin’s meeting did NOT include consideration of the Manchaug Pond dam in their land taking. Here’s the report as recorded in the Worcester Telegram this morning:DOUGLAS — Proprietors of the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District last night voted 83-5 in favor of taking by eminent domain 387 acres that includes the reservoir and the dam. Interface Fabrics Group, stockholder of the owners of record Mumford River Co. and Hydro Projects, agreed to the land-taking and to grant a deed for all rights to the watershed district for $320,000. Don J. Virostek told district members last night that if they did not go forward with taking the land, Interface would likely petition the Office of Dam Safety to breach the dam and it would return to being a river as it was in 1840. He also said that once the purchase and sale agreement is signed, the splash boards controlling the flow of water into the Mumford River would be put in place. (MPA file photo) The district, established in May …

Boat Safety! Spread the word…

I received a call today from an MPA Board member who witnessed two episodes yesterday involving visitors and their boats with little regard to safety and common sense: 3 or 4 canoes, leaving town property, headed out in yesterday’s storm. Some very anxious moments occurred as the canoes capsized, putting inexperienced boaters in the rough water without lifejackets on or in the boats. Those who happened to catch the scene inside the safety of their home, were helpless except to watch with binoculars counting heads and calling 911 for professional assistance. Thank God that in spite of the lack of required safety equipment – life jackets, seat coushions or a buoy, and a 911 system which delays the direct reach of professionals, the boaters were able to swim to Blueberry Island to await rescue by a local with a jet ski. The police department did stay on the phone with the caller to ensure those in the water made it to shore. Earlier in the day another group, kayakers, again without any life jackets were in need of assistance with a motor boat rescuing them. Many of us who have lived many years on the lake know that storms come …

Help Needed!

Here’s a post from a few days past which pictured two docks over on the Camp Blanchard shore…Anonymous said… I just returned to the lake and noticed my neighbors dock is missing – it’s the green one above and belongs to the Donovan’s on Bigelow Road. I called them and they are looking for help in retrieving it as they don’t have a boat and mine it too little. If anyone can assist, contact me and I will call them. -mj mccauley 476-1546 May 27, 2009 1:54 PM