Not on the Lake and Need a Place to Swim?

Feel like just cannonballing into a cool refreshing pond?! Hot, humid weather is in the 5-day forecast. Don’t have a place on the lake… not at a campground… want a place to swim? How about the town beach in Sutton? Marion’s Camp on Lake Singletary. Just take Tuttle Road off of Singletary Ave up past the center of town. Here’s the link:http://www.suttonma.org/Pages/SuttonMA_Rec/beaches The Sutton Town Beach at Marion’s Camp is opened daily 12pm – 6pm. Resident passes are $25.00 per household and non-resident passes are $50.00 per household. They are sold at the beach or the town hall. I don’t know if they have a day rate. If that doesn’t work for you… On Manchaug Pond, one campground offers day swimming and picnicking: the Old Holbrook Place. $4.00 each adult and $2.00 each child under 12, I believe. You can buy ice cream, candy, soda and chips at the store. http://www.oldholbrookcamping.com/ Or you could get the tent and the kids and try camping at one of the other two campgrounds: http://kingsfamilycampground.com/index.htm http://www.lakemanchaugcamping.com/index.htm And then again there is the campground at Aldrich Mill Pond just up the road: Sutton Falls Campging Area. http://bradrand.com/suttonfalls/ King’s and Sutton Falls have large camps stores …

Barefoot Skiers & Boating Hand Signals

The air temperature is 59F while the water temp. is 76F. Sunrise also finds a calm beauty on Manchaug Pond enjoyed by those with coffee mug in hand viewing from their porch or in the warmth of the house or for those in a wetsuit out on the lake for some barefoot skiing. Here’s a list of hand signals you can use while skiing or tubing to help communication between the boat’s observer and the person at the end of the rope! BASIC SIGNALS1 Speed up the boat: Thumb up. 2 Slow down the boat: Thumb down. 3 Cut Motor/Stop (also used by driver or observer): Slashing motion over the neck. 4 Turn the boat (also used by driver): Circle motion with arms over-head then point in desired direction. 5 Return to dock: Pat on the head. 6 OK or signal understood: OK signal with hand. 7 Skier OK after falling: Hands clasped over head. http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/ReviewPages/BoatUSF/Project/info7b.htm Also take the online boating course promoted in the right hand margin! For MPA Members, be sure to attend the MPA Annual Meeting to hear our speaker from the Worcester Sail and Power Squadron speak on Safe Boating! Thank you to the MPA member/photographer …

Telegram Reports on Secretary’s Decision & Dam Ownership

On July 31st, we reported that Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles released the decision on the dam owner’s proposal to breach the Manchaug Pond dam thereby reducing the lake from 380 acres to 201 as “the proponent states in the ENF that, because the dam no longer serves its original purpose, it wished “to divest itself of any and all responsibility and liability for the ownership and operation of the dam.” Read proposal for yourself – the link is to the right of this post under “For More Information.” It will take you to the town link for the complete document Environmental Notification Form (ENF) #14435. or go to the state MEPA website: http://www.mass.gov/envir/mepa/secondlevelpages/currentissue.htm#rodcert Today the Worcester Telegram further reports on Secretary Bowles decision, not his requirement that the dam owner prepare a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the scope of their project, changes and loss which would occur if allowed, and mitigation and alternatives but a bold and innovative solution to the dam owner’s problem. He states that the proponent (dam owner) “consider the collective costs it will be required to spend on the environmental impacts and including the resolution of any appeals that …

Skies of the Lake

With this hot weather, the lake becomes an even more popular place especially to homes and camps along the shore. The day is spent welcoming family and friends that come to swim and picnic at your home and Manchaug’s shores – and being a grandparent can make you and your home even more popular especially with the younger crowd! Such was the case here, so I didn’t get the blog entry finished. But yesterday evening’s boat ride, and for those of you skiing and tubing and fishing, taking the evening tour around the lake offered a showcase of beautiful skies to view. Let me share a few with you…

The Results are in… Manchaug WON!

Manchaug Pond voted THE MOST SCENIC body of water! In a recent poll conducted by the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, 54% of the participants chose Manchaug Pond out of 7 lakes and 1 river! Thank you to all those of you who took the time to head over to the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle website to vote for our Manchaug Pond! and thank you to our 3 guest photographers for their submissions of scenic Manchaug Pond!

So What Do You Do Early Sunday Morning?

Sunday morning early before the fishermen arrive at the boat ramp, before the newspaper is delivered, before churches opene their doors… Manchaug Pond is alive! The mist rolls across the water and the skiers do their barefoot thing. An the sky changes as a kayaker glides on the calm, mirror-like lake…. and even a hot-air balloon is seen in the distant sky.

Today at Manchaug Pond… A little work, a little rest.

Today the Town of Sutton Highway Department put some time in at the State Public Access Boat Ramp working on the main gate. Seems with time it had settled making it difficult to line up, lock and unlock. They also put more topsoil on the pervious pavers with talk of reseeding in the fall. This neck of the woods sure has been getting a lot of attention! And later in the evening, the wind died down with a beautiful red sunset finishing the day.

Manchaug’s Big Birds -How about this one!

Do you know this one? A few days ago this big bird circled and flew in dipping close to the road in front then going up to land on a neighboring house. Sat on the roof quite awhile looking around and sunning its wings. All was silent in the area including that rooster we often hear in the distance, and the small flock of chickens here went inside their coop. Look at that distinctive head to help you identify….

Manchaug Pond and Tuesday’s Morning Fog

About 6:30 Tuesday morning a fog rolled in to Manchaug Pond and the shoreline neighborhoods were wrapped in white. The water was calm and quiet with no boats on the water. But I said to myself, “Jeez, I can’t report that… there are “Those opposed” who would have a field day with us being put a fog!” But the fog had rolled in and I knew first hand that the MPA had kept its head – stayed on course these past few years working toward a solution to the waterlevel issue and yet not losing sight of our overall mission and other goals and priorities. We are seeing our s.319 grant through – bringing new technology to the watershed to get at the root causes of weed growth and poor water quality. The findings to our latest weed study are in and we continue to broaden our efforts in the watershed with groups concerned about land conservation, coldwater fisheries, wetlands protection, invasives and the river system as well as Manchaug Pond. Stabilization of the waterlevel has been achieved and an awareness of our 380 acre lake exist within the user community, the two towns and at the state level…. and …