Clouds were building for this much needed rain!

When I took the photos of the contrails, the clouds were building for the much needed rain we are now finally receiving. With the warm weather, the lake was going down further and further reaching a point where many of us were loosing the couple inches of water that made it possible to get our boats out on the lake. Worcester County has been receiving rain but not here on Manchaug Pond. As a neighbor put it “There’s an umbrella over Manchaug with storms all around us!” I’d receive phone calls during the day from board members who work in Westboro, Northbridge and other areas of Worcester County, all excited to report the 2 inches of rain they were receiving to have me report dry conditions lake side. Well that is over as this week the skies have opened up on Manchaug Pond! Sunday afternoon brought almost an inch, Sunday night saw winds of 23.7 miles per hour with more rain to bring the total by Tuesday to over 2 1/2. Keep it coming!! Skies the day of the contrails: Area 2 looks like the Golden City!

Contrails

Couple photos taken the beginning of the week:

Whitin Reservoir Watershed District in the news

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Whitin Reservoir district gets ready to buy dam Waterfront property owners pursue control By Steven H. Foskett Jr. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFFsfoskett@telegram.com DOUGLAS— Residents who live or own property along Whitin Reservoir are moving along with plans to buy a dam that controls the water level. The Whitin Reservoir Association recently completed all of the steps necessary to be able to call itself the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District. The designation allows the group to act in many ways as a municipality; residents who started the push for the designation have made no secret that the main reason for forming the district was to allow them to buy a dam owned by Interface Fabrics, which operated the former Guilford of Maine plant on Gilboa Street until 2006. The company has been looking to sell off assets in the area. Property owners on the reservoir have said that Interface was a good custodian of the dam, but they were nervous about what type of arrangement might be forced upon them if the ownership of the dam changed hands. The group received support from selectmen for forming the watershed district, and in the spring the Legislature passed a special …

July 4th Weekend

What a weekend! The sights, sounds and smiles had to be experienced! My Canon PowerShot S100 digital elph fails to capture the moments of a great weekend. The holiday started on the 3rd, Thursday evening, with a couple boats decorated with red, white and blue lights, our nation’s flag, patriotic music to be joined by others in a parade around the lake – cut short all too soon by the sounds of fireworks and a few cottages beginning the holiday weekend with the traditional lighting of the shoreline with flares. Friday the 4th was overcast but the rain never came as cookouts brought family and friends to the shores of Manchaug Pond. Out on the lake that evening a number of boats stayed out in the middle to have the best view of the flares lining the shore. Joining them, we had a boat come along side to ask when the town would begin the fireworks display! That was a good one! As neither Douglas nor Sutton had advertised fireworks this year and I doubt that Manchaug Pond would ever be chosen as a prefered location! Saturday brought 3/4 of an inch of rain – badly needed on this lake. …

Getting Ready for the 4th?

July 4th is big on Manchaug Pond. The plans and preparations are in the works for it all: decorated boats for the parade, the lighting of the shore the night before at 9:00 p.m. with flares, campfires, cookouts with family and friends, and fireworks here and there. Be sure to hang those flags properly and with respect. On a pole – the US flag is on top. On a building – union or field of stars hung first on left. This site will give more details: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html For the lighting of the shoreline: purchase your flares from your MPA Area Representative or at the campground store at the Old Holbrook Place campground or King’s Campground. Price is $3.00 a piece or 2 for $5. These flares are obtained for the MPA from the town police department at cost. Fireworks: They are illegal in Massachusetts but a number of Manchaug Pond property owners have hired a professional to put on great displays over the lake. Be safe! The parade usually just starts up! This year we will have to do a little circle in the middle to avoid the rocks exposed by the low waterlevel in the coves. Sorry in advance …

Massachusetts Outdoor Recreation Map

More tourism talk in the news! June 27th, the day after my last post, I received a news advisory from Mass Wildlife announcing the release of the Massachusetts Outdoor Recreation Map, a directory of what the state has to offer in outdoor attractions and activities. Ian Bowles, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), will release the map as part of Governor Patrick’s dedication to enhancing local tourism at a press conference July 1 at the Waldon Pond State Boat Ramp. The state explains that the “informational guide is a great resource and tool for visitors as well as residents. The guide features outdoor safety tips and ethics and helpful information such as locations of state parks, forests, reservations, beaches, and wildlife areas. The updated map is a collaboration between two EEA agencies: the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).” The map features Fishing & Boating Access Boat Launching Sites with our own Manchaug Pond ramp listed!( And No, there are no caution/warnings notes about Manchaug’s low waterlevel!!) You’ll also see on the list in the Western District the ramps of 3 Great Ponds who have protected their lakes with a Watershed District: …

“Massachusetts It’s all here” even at Manchaug Pond!

Have you ever thought of Manchaug Pond’s economic contribution to the area?! Massachusetts’ tourism website for the central part of the state highlights Lake Manchaug in it’s boasting opening paragraph! See for yourself:Hit the slopes at Wachusett Mountain. Take in the Worcester Sharks, AHL affiliates of the San Jose Sharks. Hang out with Mother Nature at Lake Manchaug and go camping, fishing or boating. Spend the day hiking or snowshoeing, amongst the trees at Otter River State Forest or Wells State Park. Or, kayak along the Blackstone River and know what it really means to “get your adrenaline pumping.” With a wide range of forests, ponds and trails easily accessible, Central Massachusetts is home to all of the things you love to do — indoors and out. here’s the link: http://www.massvacation.com/centralMass/outdoor-activities.php Now check out the $$$ economic contribution in dollar$ that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sees as the Value to the Nation of Oxford’s Hodges Village natural resource area on the French River for 2006 at this link: http://www.vtn.iwr.usace.army.mil/recreation/reports/lake.asp?ID=184 “107,012 visits per year resulted in: * $1.94 million in visitor spending within 30 miles of the Corps lake. * 63%of the spending was captured by local economy as …

Spotted again! Pileated Woodpecker

Early this morning this woodpecker could be heard on the shores of the lake tapping methodically along checking out dead wood for insects. My husband spotted him about 7:30 a.m. in an oak tree along the shore of Manchaug Pond. With the limits of my camera, I was able to get closer and get a picture of him. My husband says it is about time for a new camera with a good zoom lens. This bird is good size – about the size of a crow and the sound of it tapping quite loud. A few years ago these birds nested in the cavity of a very large tree which has since come down in a storm. Tonight we could hear 3 birds calling to each other from across the channel. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Pileated_Woodpecker_dtl.htmlCheck out the link to learn more. I also logged him in as being observed here on Manchaug Pond with the eBird site with Cornell Univerity’s Ornithology

On the lake – more activity!

Today saw more activity on the lake. The Boat Ramp reports receipts have been down as visitors are asking to have a look at the waterlevel before they pay. The inch of rain a few days ago brought the lake up about an inch and residents are getting creative – pulling docks closer to the water and pushing pontoon boats across the mud to the water. Here’s a little look at blue skies and sunshine on the water!

The Baltimores Vacationing on Manchaug Pond

Baltimore orioles are visiting feeders around the lake.These photos are from Area 2. Just a note: MASS Wildlife recommends taking down suet feeders in early spring to deter bears. I did report on a bear earlier who I later found had been seen first in Sutton before going to Northbridge.

Monster Size Fish Head!

MPA Board Meetings… never boring… never know what can be brought up under “New Business!” Last night a new board member brought a huge fish head to the meeting. It had washed ashore three days ago. He put it in the freezer just so he could show all of us! The picture doesn’t do it justice as it was huge! Too bad DEP didn’t get a look at this one. Actually they were looking for live fish for the fish sampling survey yesterday as they went around Manchaug’s shore. I heard from another board member they were looking for contaminants. Routine sampling and testing. As lakes go we are clean. We have seen the lake water quality decrease over the years with increased use. Our 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution grant from DEP directly addresses pollutants from stormwater through the construction of 5 new designs – stormdrains, filtering swales, and catch basins along Manchaug Road and Holt Road and at the State Boat Ramp along with a rain garden and pervious paving. Another major component to the grant is an educational program aimed at homeowners and livestock owners to keep household, landscape and barn pollutants out of the lake. We have …