MPA Meets with Engineers

This morning from 9:30 to 12:30pm, 2 engineers visited the roadsides of Manchaug Pond checking the catchbasins, gabion dams, plunge pools, pervious pavers and other structures constructed last year under the S 319 DEP stormwater grant project for Manchaug Pond. The engineers’ goal today was two fold: first to evaluate the current structures noting improvements needed if any and secondly to identify new sites to be addressed. Three MPA officers gave the Douglas/Sutton tour.To take the tour yourself, view the slide show on the right. For more information on Low Impact Development and what you can do to protect the water quality of Manchaug Pond consult our website at www.manchaugpond.org under Living in the Watershed or visit http://www.epa.gov/nps/lid/ http://www.lid-stormwater.net/background.htmOn seeing this site the engineer exclaimed, “It’s working!” How can you tell? Note all the road sand and salt captured!

Windy and a Fighter Jet Fly Over

This morning it is cool and WINDY! Regardless, fisherman off the ramp are on the lake with the majority from Rhode Island. Between 9:30 and 9:45am a number of fighter jets roared over the lake for a loud and dramatic few moments. Oh and the flow you ask?

Some Ramps Open, Some Still Closed

Today, the Webster Police Department website still reports Webster Lake as closed to boating. Thursday, a drive by the Public Access Ramp at Lake Singletary found it open, but the waterlevel was right up there so with more rain this weekend you might see the closed sign posted once again. Here on Manchaug Pond, our ramp is open and our waterlevel is low enough to accommodate more rain. Only problem may be finding a parking space!

Before the Big Sweep!

Early last week, when the weather made us think more of summer than of the fact that spring had just recently arrived, we took a morning walk in the watershed. Before this street sweeper made its pass over the dam and along the roadside we had just walked, we had an opportunity to read the tracks of other early morning walkers in the sand along the sides of the road. Who do you see in the sand? MassWildlife puts out a handy Pocket Guide to MA Animal Tracks. Just a card smaller than index card size that gives the track pattern, the tracks of 27 mammals and birds with size in inches of front and hind track noted. You might have pick up the pocket guide at an MPA meeting or if you haven’t check with the MassWildlife field office on 1 Rabbit Hill Rd. Westboro. Two weeks ago the MassWildlife van was sighted in Sutton heading south! www.masswildlife.org. Subscribe to their magazine – you won’t be disappointed! also www.masswildlifetracker.org

Stevens Pond Dam Gets New Flashboards

Stevens Pond dam, downstream from Manchaug Pond, received some attention this week with the installation of new pipes and flashboards. Nice work by the Town of Sutton. Here’s the before photo taken last year for comparison.

Hydropower Public Hearing Tonight

http://www.suttontv.org/stream.php?program=PB_2010_02_22.mov http://manchaugpondassociation.blogspot.com/2010/03/sutton-plannig-board-presents.html

Dam Owner Monitors Waterlevel – flow reduced

Last Thursday, the question was asked by a few as to whether or not the dam caretaker continues to monitor the Manchaug dam on a daily basis – with some thinking he is there only once a week. Well,  reports came in on Friday that YES he was indeed there and here’s of photo of his truck there AGAIN THIS MORNING.  On duty as usual!  🙂 So I would venture it is safe to say with the nature and seriousness of dam ownership – coupled with the owner’s past record of daily monitoring and concern for safety – that our dam is getting plenty of attention.  We have also seen local and state officials in the neighborhood as well. Looking at the flow out of Manchaug Pond…. Here is a photo of the flow on Thursday, April 8th: And again this morning after the caretaker took his measurements and closed the low level gate down quite a bit.  Significantly reduced.  No water is coming over the flashboards. While those who live and use Manchaug Pond clearly see the value of its water and the dam for the value of our homes, our wells, to prevent flooding, for recreation, business and …

Manchaug Pond: Alive and Well!

There was been a quiet giddiness on Manchaug Pond this past couple weeks as flashboards went in before April 1st, spring rains came in record amounts bringing the lake up to a nice level, and thanks to the dam owner and his caretaker the water level never reach a point where we had to worry about homes flooding or closing the ramp as have many others. Coupled with the unusually warm weather,  the lake has come alive once again! What do we mean by “come alive”? Yellow perch were spawning along the shore in numbers back on April 2nd. Dragging a worm off a fishing pole line brought them scooting over in droves. Turtles were seen on logs and rocks along the shore basking in the sun near the boat ramp and and on the opposite shore of Holbrook’s.  Coves and neighboring wetlands brought the evening sounds of spring peepers and wood frogs while herons and ducks were the sights of the day. A few boats from the ramp enjoyed the early fishing and we could even hear the hooting and howlering of a couple of brothers enjoying the first swim of the season in water way too cold for …

Tonight – VERNAL POOL Night Hike at West Hill Dam

http://allaboutfrogs.org/files/sounds/wood.wav LISTEN! You can hear these sounds in the woods across Holbrook’s Cove! They are wood frogs and require a moist pool in the spring inwhich to lay their eggs… Did you know there are a number of vernal pools in the Manchaug Pond watershed? and endangered species that find these areas critical? This workshop will introduce you to vernal pools with a slide show and then a hike to see for yourself the frogs, salamanders and other creatures who live there! Don’t forget your flashlight! Vernal Pool Night Hikes – Friday April 9, from 7:30-9:30pm Salamanders and wood frogs awaken from winter’s rest. They migrate during rain events to the vernal pool they hatched from to lay eggs. Join us, rain or shine, all ages, bring a flashlight, best suited about ages 6 and older. Join us for our annual night trek, April 9, 7:30-9:30pm. We will view a brief slide show on local species and the special reproduction that occurs in vernal pools. Bring a flashlight as we are off to explore several local favorite pools to see how healthy our populations are. Allow at least two hours for this spring night hike. Meet Ranger Viola at the …