Paint a picture you ask… This morning the lake is calm. Like a mirror, it reflects the blues of the sky, the grays and browns of the shoreline rocks and trees and the occasional burst of white or pale color from a shoreline cottage. The migrating ducks have arrived this month – the shy Common Mergansers with their distinctive red beak, black heads and back and white sides – a regular sight these past few weeks as they are each year in their small flock. A couple Wood ducks, some Hooded Mergansers, and a few Golden Eyes have also been seen by our 1st Vice President. Buffleheads, and others will soon join them. As spring bursts forward, we’ll find the red buds of the maples, the new green of foliage and the yellow of the marsh marigolds and other wetlands flowers in the watershed. Spring will also bring the metallics of bass boats, neons of kayaks and the sights and sounds of an active lake community. … One can paint a number of pictures of the various scenarios that can unfold… Personally, I would like to see our dam owner, Interface Global, comply with the Sutton Conservation Commission’s Order of …
Sutton Order of Conditions DEP # 303-0669
Late yesterday, the Sutton Conservation Commission released the long awaited for Order of Conditions for Interface Global’s Notice of Intent – DEP # 303-0669 which seeks to bring the water level down 3 1/2 feet plus and reduce the acreage by 55+ acres. The Order is 13 pages long plus support material of 7 attachments from engineers, MRC letters, and water level graphs, etc… I have to say I was not confident as to its contents, but the Order does uphold the Wetlands Protection Act, does put mechanisms in place to ensure communication up and downstream and does acknowledge the well-maintained condition of the dam. Here’s a quick look at the Special Conditions on page 11 1. “Applicant shall maintain water levels generally in accordance with the Historic Rule Curve developed in the 1930’s and used throughout operations of the dam through early 2008, and shall maintain water levels at, but no higher than the, Historic and Operational Rule Curve in a manner similiar to the dam’s recent history of operations;” 2. “….. install a standard staff gauge…. 40-50 feet beyond it downstream….” 3. “Applicant shall release water generally in accordance with the advanced flow regime…Mumford Low Flow Study…” 4. …
The Dam is Well-Maintained
Questions were raised as to the actual condition of the dam. Here’s a list of some repairs and upgrades which were noted by the dam owner in the process before the Sutton Conservation Commission. November, 2008: Routine maintenance – mow downstream face, debris from the drain lines, seal gap between spillway box and stone masonry, repair spillway floor and expansion joints, repoint upstream face above waterlevel. September, 2008: Improvements to the cage around the gate. October, 2006: Replacement and updating of the low-level gate. (see slideshow at top right) 2005: Repair to spillway concrete box culvert. 1960: Extensive changes with the crest widened and raised and the downstream embankment was constructed. 1836: Original construction.
Manchaug Dam Hearing Weds 3/18 at 8:00
Weds., March 18th 8:00 p.m. continued public hearing for the Manchaug Pond Dam. See you there! The documents presented at March 4th’s public hearing including the dam owner’s revised Operation & Maintenance Plan and rule curve look to: * reduce the lake 65 acres from 360 acres to 295 acres! * take the peak water level down 3 1/2 – 4 + feet from over 519elevation to 515.4 (significant for a pond with a mean depthof 13 ft.) and even lower in fall and spring! * impact 100% of the bank or 5 1/2 miles of shoreline which providesspawning area, wetland habitats, etc.! * disconnect coldwater tributaries, one of which is documentedhabitat for native brook trout by Mass Fisheries & Wildlife! * adversely impact private wells around the lake! * cut off public access to the Great Pond! Wednesday, March 18th at 8:00 p.m. Sutton Conservation Commission – Continuance of Public Hearing on Manchaug Reservoir Corp revised NOI for Manchaug Reservoir. DEP # 303-0669(How about that new slideshow! What do you think? Leave a comment!)
Whitin Reservoir Dam – Monday Night before DCC
Monday, March 16th, at 8:45 p.m. the Whitin Reservoir Dam, belonging to Manchaug’s sister lake – the Douglas Res., is on the agenda of the Douglas Conservation Commission as dam owner Mumford River Reservoir Corp proposes to reduce its size and waterlevel. Weds, March 18th, at 8:00 p.m. before the Sutton Conservation Commission, MRC’s Public Hearing on proposed reduction of Manchaug Pond continues.
Douglas Conservation Commission Mtg. – Part II
As I reported earlier, the MPA received a written invitation to come before the Douglas Conservation Commission to discuss conservation issues where they specifically asked our assistance in passing the word as to what activities fall under the Wetlands Protection Act and what ones do not. At the Monday, March 2nd DCC meeting, the commission gave us a three fold brochure they had put together and offered a forum for us all to talk about the association, its efforts and hopes for Manchaug Pond. In a relaxed atmosphere we were specifically able to thank the town of Douglas for completing their road work at two sites which is part of the 319 grant to reduce pollution/stormwater, report on the educational efforts of our exhibit, cleanups and workshops of 2008 and look to enlisting their involvement in future grant opportunities focused on water quality and watershed involvement and conservation. The brochure is available on our website in pdf form at http://manchaugpondassociation.org/news.html and will be sent to our mailing listing in the weeks ahead. For our many readers who are not at the lake in winter, you can view the Douglas meetings online as well as check out agendas and minutes yourself! …
Manchaug & Whitin Reservoirs – Mark Your Calendar!
If you enjoy the waters of either of these two local reservoirs either as a shoreline resident, summer home renter, as a visitor at a campground, through the State Public Access Ramp, the waterslide, the YMCA day camp, or just enjoy the scenery as you drive by or live in the watershed or access downstream… this is of interest to you. For the Manchaug Pond whose dam is in Sutton, the public hearing process has been continued. For our sister lake and the Whitin Reservoir dam in Douglas, it has just begun: Monday, March 16th at 8:45 p.m. Douglas Conservation Commission – Mumford River Reservoir Corp’s NOI (Notice of Intent) for Whitin Reservoir. Wednesday, March 18th at 8:00 p.m. Sutton Conservation Commission – Continuance of Public Hearing on Manchaug Reservoir Corp’s NOI for Manchaug Reservoir. DEP # 303-0669
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.