Fuddy, Guilford’s caretaker, called last night to report the sandbags at the dam gate held us at 5″ under full over the weekend.( FYI: Whitins Reservoir, the other dam Fuddy watches, lost 1″ through evaporation.) After today’s reading, if there is a loss of water, Guilford may decided to put additional sandbags to stop the flow further. Fuddy will keep us posted. Stay tuned!
The Dam – “What’s Going On?!” Update
Well, Guilford and R.H. White have been at the dam all day! We checked in with them a little after 7 a.m., a few times during the day and again before 4 p.m. when divers were again coming out of the water. The news isn’t good. Seems there was debris near the gate but that is not what caused the damage – the shaft of the gate is broken. Old age. Can’t just order parts for something like that. They have to be made. Guilford has 200 sandbags positioned to reduce the flow of water out of the lake. Fuddy will do his best to keep the water at this level – using the boards to lower in case of heavy rain/flood conditions.Repairs will be made in the fall when the water level is taken down.
The Dam – “What’s Going On?!”
Guilford has called in the professionals to dive down to get a view of the gate as something (a branch?) is preventing the dam gate from closing. We are 4 inches down from full. Stay tuned! By the way… if you have questions or opinions about the water level PLEASE DO NOT call Guilford in Douglas or in Maine. It really does NOT get you anywhere. Also you should know that while you’re calling for Guilford to close the gate, someone else is complaining the water is too high! It doesn’t make us look good as a group. Guilford has a mandate from DEP to maintain a flow for the sewerage treatment plants in Douglas and they have their rule curve they have been following for years. Ask Fuddy or your MPA Area Rep. or Officer or check here for more info.
Water Level 3 Inches Down From Full
Our dam caretaker reports trouble closing the dam, so a little more water than he would like has been going out the gate. He suspects debris from a previous storm is preventing them from closing the gate so divers are being called in to check it out.
Fireworks!
Millbury, Auburn and Northbridge Sunday night; Worcester Monday night and Manchaug Pond EVERY night! Sorry my camera didn’t capture the beauty! Anyone have better – send them in!
How about “Pink Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight”!
My 9 year old daughter took this picture this evening. We are looking forward to a great weekend and 4th of July!! Fireworks, cookouts, marshmallows and campfires, family and friends. Remember the MPA tradition… the lighting of the flares around the shoreline… July 3rd at 9 p.m.
The Lake and Pet/Animal Waste
Rain yesterday, today and tomorrow. When it is not raining, the air is 100% humidity. Did you know Fuddy did a rain dance? Did you know a couple hundred residents of Whitin Reservoir met at St. Denis Church to talk about their dam and the water level? – not in the hall but upstairs in the church and many prayed for higher water. Everyone can stop dancing and praying! enough rain! Seriously, I have a little educational piece for you to check out. I found it while looking for info on dirt roads and nonpoint source pollution. You see, these heavy rains wash sediment into the lake as well as whatever else is found in the watershed: sand and salt off roads, fertilizers from lawns, oils, detergents, as well as bacteria from animal wastes and livestock manures. Check out the “DEP Fact Sheets” under Links in the column on the right. I had to take it out of the post area as it was too big:Educational nonpoint source brochure: Pet waste. January 2003. It will make you think! Tomorrow I will tell you about the state grant the MPA has submitted to help protect our water from these sorts of …
Town of Sutton Transfer Station Goes to Bags
This week is it to dump that rubbish before the “Pay-As-You-Throw” Program begins at the Sutton transfer station. July 1st you will need a $25.00 1 year sticker/permit to enter the station and dispose of recycleables, bags of rubbish and other items. The town has a long list of “other items” and their fees from $5 for a can of paint to $10. for a chair to $25. for a TV. And the bags…. a big $2.50 for the 33 gallon size (Worcester charges $1, I am told) and $1.25 for the 14 gallon bag. The bags are only available at the Town Hall and the Sutton Center Store/gas station. With recycling and composting, my household still generates about 6-10 14 gallon bags a week. Thats a good total and $$ per year! Perhaps a compactor for unrecycleable plastics and a shredder to recycle or campfire the office paper!
Another Sunday Visitor for Area 4
Another Sunday morning and we have company! A month ago it was a fox on my door step. This morning a visit from Mrs. Mallard and the twins! You can see the route she took: over the yard of the lake-front cottage, across the road, and on to my lawn. Perhaps the rain has made for few handouts on the lake (or she has had enough of the rain too and longs for dry land!) How many little families are on the lake this season? Anyone counting? On the serious side… another visitor came in the afternoon – the MPA President. He brought sample legislation and bylaws for me to review for the watershed district effort. We’re moving ahead! Check back – I’ll keep you posted!
UNANIMOUS! Pursue Watershed District!
A crowded hall was the location of last night’s meeting called by the Manchaug Pond Association to discuss the sale of the dam at Manchaug Pond and explore the option of establishing a watershed district. MPA members and other residents along the lake’s shore listened to the COLAP speaker and District Clerk of Cedar Meadow Lake Watershed District tell of the sale of his lake’s dam, and the 7 years of low water levels held by the new owner to try to get $$ out of the residents. The MPA President led the meeting explaining the vote of the Board to Directors to point the MPA to the best option for the members and other residents: formation of a watershed district. The MPA has been talking with the mill and their law firm for a few months monitoring the situation and keeping communication open.
Red Sky at Night, Sailors’ Delight. NOT!
What a storm came up moments after this red sky showed itself!! Mega wind, hail, rain, thunder, lightning. Whew! Glad our house is one row back as half the back yard, cabanas, etc, blew east into the trees as it is! (This picture is what you see when you are not waterfront…. before you run down to the lake!)
Membership Meeting June 22 on the DAM!
The dam is going up for sale. Hmmm… That is a big one! I’ve been on the MPA Board of Directors over 20 years and short of the issue which brought our MPA Founding Father together, the proposed remake of Camp Blanchard to a campground, I have to say that this is just as big an issue to tackle – possibly bigger! What makes this issue one of the most important? Let’s look at past MPA action and results: * Certainly, the current DEP Storm Drain grant (and watershed survey and water quality testing) we submitted this month is a big one as it will address some weed problems for the long term, and the few high nutrient levels we have seen here and there which concern public health. * Also, the town management of the Public Boat Ramp was a big feather in our cap as we secured the portable toilets to eliminate the use of Blueberry Island and the other islands as bathrooms. Remember the complains of what used to float in to resident’s beaches!! * That effort also got us the Gatekeeper who closes the ramp when the parking lot is full, eliminating the parking up and …