Don’t You Love Water!

Around town, Manchaug Pond residents are subjected to comments like: “Okay, it’s time to stop the rain dance!” “Is your water level high enough!” “Could you pray for sunshine now!?!” “Rain…. again!” Our response: Just a big grin! :)) Yesterday evening, the water at Manchaug Pond reached a level where it was flowing over the flashboards of the Manchaug Pond dam. Who would have thought we would have received so much rain this May and June to bring us up to this level! Not only is the water bringing our lake, shoreline, coves and wetlands back to life but we are seeing how our site work for the storm drain grant is taking the flow of the storm run-off! Don’t you just love the water! Granted the flashboards just don’t seem to quite measure up to their 3.5 foot height as described in the engineers’ inspection reports and other official documents but we are at a good level! Here’s the flashboards last night. Here’s the flow over the flashboards out the spillway. With 1 1/2 inches of rain yesterday and another 2 this morning and now a storm as I write, the rain gauge continues to fill and the dam …

Sutton Town Website Announces State Meeting on Manchaug Pond

State to Hold Meeting to Discuss ApplicationTo Breach Manchaug DamTuesday, July 7, 20093:30 pmSutton Town Hall – Selectmen’s Meeting Room An Environmental Notification form has been submitted for the “Restoration of Manchaug Pond – Douglas & Sutton” Project. This project requires a mandatory Environmental Impact Report (EIR). A consultation meeting will be held to receive advice and comments from agencies, official and citizens regarding which environmental issues are significant for this project. Opinions as to the extent of the significance of possible environmental impacts will be welcome. The meeting will include a brief presentation of the project by the proponent, with periods for questions, answers, and open comment. Additional comments will be welcome in writing prior to July 14, 2009. Pursuant to the requirements of the American Disabilities Act, this meeting notice is available in alternative formats upon request. Questions on the meeting may be answered by contacting William Gage of the MEPA staff at 617-626-1025.For link to MEPA website to read the ENF, see the MPA “For More Information!” section to the right.

Meet the Wetlands Mystery Creature(s) – FROGS!

Thanks to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website, I have identified the mystery singers: the Gray Tree Frog, and the twangy friend, the Green Frog! Here’s their info and photos from the website. Visit the NH Fish and Game yourself and listen to them sing! While you’re there, listen to the American Toad – I’ve heard that song before here at Manchaug Pond!The GRAY TREE FROG(Hyla versicolor) Photo by Mike Marchand State Rank Status: Widespread and secure Distribution: Throughout NH except north of the White Mountains Description: A small 1-2 inch frog usually a brownish gray or greenish color. The skin is rough with several dark spots. Usually a light spot with a dark edge below each eye. The inner thighs are bright yellow or orange Commonly Confused Species: Spring peeper Habitat: Forested areas with small trees or shrubs that are close to water. Found under loose bark on trees, tree cavities, or in rotting logs during summer. Seldom seen on the ground. Life History: Attaches up to 2000 eggs to vegetation in shallow water. Hibernates under tree roots or matted leaves. Voice: A loud, resonating trill Conservation Threats: Species is secure AND The Green Frog(Rana clamitans melanota)State …

Have you seen these two? Report it to MassWildlife!

Have you seen the Spotted Turtle? or the Northern Leopard Frog?? (photos provided by New Hampshire Fish and Game Department) MassWildlife wants to know and so does the MPA! This news bulletin came out yesterday in MassWildlife’s monthly news release:REPORT HERPS! The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) is asking interested conservationists for reports or sightings of certain specific reptiles and amphibians. The species of NHESP interest include: Smooth Greensnake, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Eastern Ribbonsnake, Eastern Musk Turtle, Spotted Turtle, and the Northern Leopard Frog. NHESP is particularly interested in sightings of the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake. These particular species are of interest for a variety of reasons: 1) the species is thought to be rare, declining or vulnerable, but there is insufficient information on the condition, number and size of populations to make a determination; 2) the species was removed from the official regulatory list, but the Program believes it still is in need of some conservation attention; 3) the species distribution and abundance are not well known. Herpetologists want to bring attention to and track reports of these reptiles and amphibian in order to determine whether any of the species listed are appropriate …

A Front Row Seat

After a ride around the lake, what a perfect ending to sit and watch the sunsetfrom the front row. (notice the boat taking it all in!)

Who’s Singing This New Song?!

The Sutton Conservation Commission and MassDEP are to thank for bringing our waterlevel up this spring and summer. Mandating the dam owner keep to the historic 1930 rule curve has resulted in our lake coming back to life. My daughters have found frog eggs, salamanders, and crayfish once again while my neighbor down the road says her spring peepers are back. She says her shore has been invaded by a horrible amount of invasive weeds, but her frogs are back. I’m happy for her. Wish I could say the same as mine have not returned. Spring peepers have sung their songs in the wetlands behind my house every year since I’ve been here. All my children have gone to sleep to the sounds of crickets and peepers. The change in the water level dried the cove and wetlands last year. And now Something new has moved in which I haven’t yet met or identified. Haven’t seen it. We just hear them loud and clear – 4 -5 of them calling to each other and their seems to be some off in the distance. There is also another sound with a twangy bullfroggy sound. Listen to the video/podcast and tell me …

Trout Stream Magic! We Were There!

Brookie. Square Tail. Brook Trout. Salvelinus fontinalis. Have you ever seen one? They are in our watershed in two unnamed tributaries running into Manchaug Pond. Have been for years. (sorry this is not Manchaug’s brook trout.) Trout was the topic of a recent workshop (see my earlier post) sponsored by Massachusetts Audubon at Broad Meadow Brook facility and Trout Unlimited. Audubon’s Donna Williams and 3 members of Trout Unlimited presented strategies to save our coldwater fisheries. (a Manchaug watershed coldwater fishery!) Here’s a few ideas:* Don’t cut trees along trout streams as they keep it cool – trout need the water temperature under 68 degrees F. * Rocks in the stream create riffles which add oxygen to the water. * Vegetation along the shoreline and hanging in the water is also needed as it provides a home for trout food – insects, etc. * Maintain a vegetative cover over the soil to prevent erosion. * Avoiding applying or disposing of fertiizers, pesticides and other chemicals near the stream. They are toxic to the fish. * Avoid practices that change the flow of the stream. The workshop also provided a demonstration in fly tying was also given, with books on hand …

The Value of Water: Part two – Alternatives Unlimited

“Alternatives tried to sell the site about three years ago. When no buyer materialized, the company’s executives decided to stay and to transform the 37,000 square feet of space into an attraction for the local community. “We thought maybe we could create this community treasure,” said Dennis H. Rice, executive director of Alternatives, sitting in a small board room overlooking the river, as a backhoe outside continued construction work that began in June. “There was an idea this should be a community asset,” Austin said. The complex, set on about an acre that slopes down to the river, will feature a restaurant, performing arts and artists’ space, shops, and a large plaza at the water’s edge that can host concerts, a farmers’ market, or other events.” “Now the historic mill complex that started the Whitin family’s empire in milling and manufacturing is on the cutting edge again. Work is under way to convert the four-building brick complex into a green site that combats rising oil and gas costs with a combination of solar, geothermal, and hydropower energy. “This will generate 88 percent of the energy needs on site, and 100 percent of its heating and cooling,” said Jonathan Austin of …

Manchaug Pond Foundation

Spawning Fish Enjoy 2009 Waterlevel and Quiet Shores

Thanks to the efforts of MassWildlife, the Sutton Conservation Commission, MassDEP, etc. (and the MPA!) our fish are happy. Last year’s low waterlevel and fishkill are just an unpleasant memory. This photo of bluegills guarding their nests was taken June 4th of this year… … here is the same area today. Male bluegills swimming in small circles around and around the edge of their nests while females hang to the outer areas. Nesting areas like these are in the shallow quiet water along the shore in 1 to 3 feet of water. With Manchaug Pond’s higher seasonal population and a large part of the shoreline protected, ideal habitat for spawning fish is common. 60% of the homes are summer camps/cottages with residents typically moving in for weekends after Memorial Day when warmer weather settles or after the children are out of school. Favorable for nests is the gravelly bottom where males build the nests. Once ready, females move onto the nests depositing 40,000 or more eggs, and then males protect until the eggs hatch. Bluegills are able to lay eggs more than once a season and may do so a couple times until the water cools again in the fall. …

MPA 319 Grant Update

It is always exciting to see more progress with the grant! This is Site #1 which is a Gabion Wier with sediment trap underneath. This will filter the nutrients in the water coming down off the hill before the water gets discharged into the lake. The annual pollutant removal of this site is 1,275 lbs. of Total Suspended Solids, 1.48 lbs. Phosphorous and 6.15 lbs. of Nitrogen. The MPA would like to thank the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection for the 319 NPS Grant as well as the Sutton and Douglas Towns and Highway Departments for all their work making the upgrades possible!

Big Rock/Little Rock

Here is “Big Rock” now “Little Rock” as of 4 PM today >`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·…¸>¸.·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. >`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·…¸> with healthy and happy fish this year!

“Which big rock, we have a million of them!!!!!”

I received this email today in response to a comment left yesterday on the last post: …they want a picture of “big rock”? Which big rock, we have a million of them!!!!! So true, so true! Here is the one and only “Big Rock” as it appears on May 18, 2009: With the rain of the past week or so, 1/4″ to start, 2″ then one 1″ and another 1 plus yesterday and today the lake has come up and I noticed yesterday The Big Rock was still showing. Sunday a duck was using it as it’s own private island – about 6 inches and it will be under. I’ll get a photo for you tomorrow.