Storms All Around …

Yes we did received rain today at Manchaug Pond – once early this morning, late this afternoon and then again this evening. But while the east side of Sutton was loosing power with thousands of others, and Auburn and Grafton were having wind, torrential rain and hail the size of ice cubes, here over the lake we found a rainbow after just and inch of rain. I find that is often the case on Manchaug Pond. Last week friends in Connecticut reported a frost. None here. We often can safely plant in mid May without worry of loosing the plants to frost. Memorial Day was that traditional weekend for planting. Last summer and even this spring, rain storms were all around us but seem to part away over the lake. Then there was the ice storm which missed the lake area with the line of damage just starting on Lackey Road. I am not saying we don’t get our share as we often have cooler temps, wind and storms that seem to circle back. Sutton Conservation Commission requested the dam owner put a rain gauge at the Manchaug Pond Dam rather than rely on the gauge at the Douglas mill. …

Quiet Day on the Lake

The boat ramp gatekeeper is officially at her seasonal weekend post, and this is the official weekend when the seasonal residents move to their summer lakeside homes but it was a quiet Saturday on the lake…. except for that campground “under new management” celebrating this evening! Sure glad it isn’t karaoke night as we can hear them loud and clear! 🙂 the summer season has started!and the waterlevel is still going UP!

Look What You’re Missing!

This photo is for “ye of little faith” … in the MPA, in the Sutton Conservation Commission, in the MassDEP, in our legislators, in the Superior Court, and in the Douglas Conservation Commission… and took your little campers and went to another lake! Look what you are missing! There’s no place like home on Manchaug Pond! (Golden Manchaug Pond with tonight’s sunset!)

Blue Jay Restaurant

An old favorite years ago was the Blue Jay Resturant and lobster pond. As a child, it was amazing to see that tank of live lobsters waiting to become someone’s dinner! Of course now you can just head to Walmart to see the same thing. The Blue Jay was a favorite to the summer crowd of Manchaug Pond, feeding the many campers and seasonal residents. But with the fire that hit the restaurant and apartment, today work has begun to clear the site and begin anew. It would be nice if the popular restaurant was indeed rebuilt.

Today’s fishing

With the comment “We are glad the water is up!”, one of our readers sent these photos… …of three fisherman and the fish caught on the second cast. 4 lbs. 2 oz. is the record for Calico Bass in Massachusetts. For information on fishing Massachusetts waters- best ponds for bass, last year’s trophy winners, record catches, boat ramp maps, etc go to MassWildlife at this link: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/fishing/fishing_home.htm

A Dam, 2 Docks and Conservation

Flashboards are still in! Water continues to come up but as you can see we still have a ways to full. If you look on the left side of the boards you’ll see little red tags. Each board is numbered. 4 boards are visible, 3 underwater making for 7 total. Once they are all under water, we are told we will have realized a 3 1/2 foot increase in the level of the water. A buzz around the lake shows a few boats at docks in the campgrounds as the campers arrive at their summer homes. Seasonal cottages and year round homes are still pretty quiet and docks which spent the fall and winter on the shore are floating away with the rising waters. These two where photographed yesterday evening. I am sure they will be rescued and secured over the weekend. On another note, a few MPA members are heading out this morning to River Bend Farm in Uxbridge to attend a workshop given by the New England Wildflower Society and the Metacomet Land Trust on Invasive Species from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.As you may know, Metacomet conserves properties right here in the Manchaug Pond Watershed – with …

The Dam Owner’s Plan for Manchaug Pond

To read the dam owner’s proposal (Notice of Intent) for Manchaug Pond go to the website of the Douglas Conservation Commission at this link:http://www.douglasma.org/cdd/concom/news.htm This in about the judge’s decision at the Worcester Superior Court:The electronic docket contains the following text: ORDER on Plaintiff’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction: The Court Denies Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction. The Court is mindful that the situation may change rapidly and that the competing risks and harms may vary depending upon conditions. Therefore the court’s present ruling is made without prejudice to the refiling of this motion should a substantial change of conditions necessitate the same.(see order) (Peter W. Agnes, Jr., Justice) copies mailed 5-13-09

Judge Rules Flashboards Stay In!

As previously reported, the owner of the Manchaug Pond dam filed a civil suit in Worcester Superior Court against MassDEP Unilateral Adm. Order and the Sutton Conservation Commission Order of Conditions (both call for the flashboards in) asking the court to direct the agency & commission to issue a new order consistant with their Amended Notice of Intent filed by Manchaug Reservoir Corp on February 4, 2009. Well, today the judge made his decision. You will be very pleased to know that the judge has DENIED the company’s request for an injunction. Therefore, the boards must remain in place. We also await the decision of the MassDEP in the dam owner’s appeal to that agency as they did not like the Sutton Conservation Commission’s Order of Conditions. And since Manchaug Pond is in two towns, we are also turning to Douglas who will review the dam owner’s proposal with the public hearing before the Douglas Conservation Commission scheduled for June 15th – 8:00 p.m. for Whitin Reservoir and 8:30 p.m. for Manchaug.

s. 319 NPS Pollution Grant Work Begins in Sutton

Yesterday the Sutton Highway Department began work at the State Public Access Boat Ramp as outlined in the EPA/DEP s. 319 Non Point Source Pollution Grant project for Manchaug Pond. Replacing the pipe that went directly into the lake will be a filtering pool lined with stone. The stone used around this pipe is “historic” rock, I was told, coming from the egg farm which once stood at the present site of the Manchaug Fire Station just down from Steven’s Pond dam. This filtering sturcture, pervious pavers and a rain garden in addition to the upgrade of the two existing catch basins will address run off at the ramp which have caused these “phragmites” to grow.