Whose Reading the Blog?!

Readership. I find it fascinating! Three counters on the blog track our readers. Google Analysis says readership is up 31% with 967 visitors checking in 6,011 times since January 1, 2009. Significant wouldn’t you say for a small pond in central Massachusetts with only 120 or so shoreline and waterrights property owners. Wednesday May 6th was a big day with 114 visits. Between 35-70 loyal visitors checking in everyday – 85% are returning visitors and 15% are new. How do our readers find us? Most, 46%, come in directly knowing our website, 44% come in from a search engine such as google, yahoo, or aol with the other 10% referred from verizon or blogger. Those who do a search, type in such things as “manchaug pond blog”, or whitin and manchaug reservoir”, or “manchaug pond dam” or “lake manchaug assn”. Once in a while a reader comes to the site as a result of a search for something like “flashboards,” “how litter hurts a lake” or “Manchaug Indians.” The keyword search “dep#303-669” brought us 61 visitors while “Lip Rippers Bass Club” brought in 21. “Manchaug Pond Association” and “manchaug pond” are the two most common search words. Two other counters …

Trip Around the Lake

Back in the 40 year old 12ft Mirrocraft with the new 4 HP Yamaha for an evening drive around the lake. Got to love it! Very different feel from the 28 ft pontoon boat. The SanPan is still hung up on the rocks from the late winter ice floe, suffering from low water. But the water is rising, the flashboards are still in, and no new news from the court room saying things should be any different.

Windy Mother’s Day

What a wind! So we headed to the west side of the lake where the ledge and hill side offered protection. Otherwise it was a beautiful, sunny day with the waterlevel continuing to rise. Today may bring more news on the legal front with the dam owners civil suit against the Town of Sutton and the MassDEP. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.

Campers Arriving & Tournaments in Full Swing- Summer Season is Here!

It was a beautiful day on Manchaug Pond. A trip around the lake in the Mirrocraft row boat equipped with new oars and a new 4HP Yamaha engine revealed campers setting up, bass boats fishing, a cormorant diving for lunch and a few boats actually sitting in a bit of water at the campground docks. That dock that got loose last week has settled on the sand bar at Blueberry Island and appears to be one from the YMCA. Rain and run-off continue to bring the water level up. Although we still have a good two feet (up) to go at least we are above last year’s fish kill level.

Manchaug Pond: “Should be Preserved Forever”

“Two occasions on the lake during the summer and fall of 2008, I observed a BALD EAGLE. The confirmation of the species was confirmed by observation at distances as close as 50 meters, and with binoculars. The environment available to this grand creature should be preserved forever. Thank you.” Submitted this week by an MPA member with their dues/support form. See this photo and more Alaskan photos of eagles fishing/swimming on this website:http://www.ketchikanphotos.com/Wildlife/Bald-Eagle-swimming.html

Beauty of the watershed

Last night and today we continue to receive rain to bring up the waterlevel which is still a couple feet below our “normal” high level for this time of year. Up in the watershed, water is flowing down to the lake. Here’s a glimpse at a wetlands feeding Manchaug Pond. Skunk cabbage, moss, ferns, wood anenome and marsh marigolds among the rocks and flowing water make it truly a place of peace and beauty. Makes you wish the next hearing for the dam could be held right here! All the engineers and attorneys could put their “desktop, conceptual evaluations” aside and experience the reality that makes Manchaug Pond worth preserving.

Water Rising & Flashboards Still In

The lake is coming up! The rain we had yesterday is doing the trick with run-off still flowing in from the watershed. A look at the flashboards tells us we have a ways to go to get to the top, but we are thankful that the flashboards are still in. As you know, the DEP issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to the dam owner to put the flashboards in. The dam owner took the 3 day period given to put the boards in doing so on Friday April 24th. But the dam owner also decided to take the DEP and Sutton Conservation Commission to court in a civil suit to try to get the flashboards back out. With papers served late last week, surprisingly, Monday was the day in court. The judge heard both sides, noted the short notice for the defendants to prepare and himself needed time to read the Asst. Attorney General’s side of the case. A ruling from the judge is expected Friday or Monday. MPA’s President and 2nd Vice President attend and observed the proceedings.

Floating Dock Loose

An MPA member from Area 7 reports today that a dock floated by at 6:57 a.m. It sits low in the water. No wind yet today and only enough moisture overnight to partially wet the ground but it is raining now! Two MPA Board members have been doing a rain dance! A method the former dam caretaker, Fuddy, used to employ. 🙂 The next post will bring you up-to-date on the “drama” with the dam – yesterday’s day in court.

The Weather Channel Predicts 6 Days of Rain!

Threaten to take The Weather Channel widget off the blog and what a response – 6 days of rain in the forecast! Well, lets leave it on and see what happens! Sure would be nice to have it rain all week to end with sunshine on the weekend! Remember 1 inch of rain can cause Manchaug Pond to come up 10 inches (.84 feet our dam reports say) If you’re a reader from Whitin Reservoir, 1 inch will bring your water level up 1.35 feet. For those of you following the drama on the dam, flashboards are still in with the courts still reviewing the case. How about this little sunshiny flower which popped out of the sand on the beach last month – Coltsfoot, I’d say.

New York Camper and Fishing Club Check in…

This was the image at the Public Access Boat Ramp the day after our Spring Cleanup event. At 7:05 this morning another club, and another tournament was heard as the voice of the caller sent boats roaring out across the lake. Instead of starting at the ramp, the boats slowly moved up the channel and through the causeway and started on the other side. The Town of Sutton who manages the state ramp reported last year gate receipts were so low they did not cover expenses. I would venture to say a first since they became managers at the MPA’s request in 1991, as we have a very popular ramp. We are still getting run off from the hillsides of the watershed, bringing up the level of Manchaug Pond since the flashboards went in. The rain gauge has been near useless and the “Weather Channel” forecast widget has to go! I’m tired of 10 day forecasts with plenty of storm clouds and weather alerts with Manchaug Pond realizing none of it. Again this demonstrates the importance of capturing snow melt and rains beginning mid-March. A bass club has offered to help and yesterday, a New York camper checked in concerned …