Rain and Watershed Run-off Continue

The sun is shining now but this morning, like the last
few days, brought more showers to help bring up the waterlevel.

This photo was taken on Lackey Road in Sutton showing water running down the hill and under Manchaug Road directly to Manchaug Pond. This rain is bringing the lake level up, but not enough for many boat owners around the lake.

The large leafed plant is skunk cabbage. If you travel along Manchaug
Road toward Central Turnpike you’ll see the yellow flowers of marsh marigolds growing among the cabbage. These are also found on the Douglas side down Ledgestone Road. Not only is the 4,288 acres of watershed providing precious run-off to raise the level of the lake but it is also filtering a portion of this water. Our 319 nonpoint pollution grant project looks at educating homeowners in the watershed so as to curb activities which adversely impact our lake’s water quality. The DEP Healthy Lawns Workshop organized by our 1st Vice President and held this spring is one of many educational efforts the MPA has planned.

The fall 07 and spring 08 clean-up events hauled a couple dump truck
loads of trash out of the watershed with some items – old motors, etc –
not just being unsightly litter but also jeopardizing our water
quality. Having just worked the clean up less than a month ago, I
couldn’t believe my eyes when Monday I saw this furnace thing dumped over the banking on Parker Road in Sutton not to mention the McDonald’s bags, etc. Ugh!

My husband thought we would need a tow truck or come-a-long to get it out. To my delight this afternoon, I saw it coming down Holt Road in the bucket of a front end loader! My personal thanks to the unknown hero of the neighborhood! You can see the water which flows into Steven’s at the bottom of that banking – it was only a matter of time before the oil or whatever other chemicals were in there reached the lake and Mumford River!