Saturday Morning Events for You!

posted June 6, 2025 ~ Attention Boaters! Free VESSEL SAFETY CHECK, Saturday, June 7th from 9:00 a.m. to noon!  Stop in for your  Vessel Safety Check at the Manchaug Pond boat ramp. Come by land or lake – with any size vessel, motorized, paddled, pedaled or sail – our certified examiner will help you get your boat safe and legal for the season. Pass and you can display your hull decal for all to see. For more information visit our website event page. In case of rain/poor weather conditions, check our website/Facebook feed for cancellation.       Start your day on a peaceful note with our Kayak and Coffee event—where adventure meets relaxation! Join fellow outdoor enthusiasts for a morning paddle on the water, get your kayak, bring your coffee, and enjoy good conversation. Whether you’re an experienced kayaker or a first-timer, this is the perfect way to connect with nature, meet new people, and kickstart your day with a calm mind and a warm cup. Meet at Blueberry Island or join the group as we pass your waterfront. Also stop in to the Vessel Safety Check at the state boat ramp  to get your kayak, canoe or other …

Tomorrow! Social & Volunteer Open House

Start the season on Manchaug Pond with the Social & Volunteer Open House! Catch up with lake neighbors and friends over a cup of coffee and pastry. Families, new friends, neighbors and lake users are welcome. As usual, we’ll come together in the Dining Hall of the YMCA Camp Blanchard facility on Manchaug Pond from 9:30 to about 11:00 a.m. or so on Saturday, June 17th. Over coffee and pastry catch up with lake friends and neighbors. Learn more about our lastest efforts for Manchaug Pond and the watershed. Our Vice President and s.319 Non-point Source Pollution Grant Coordinator will have an detail display of our roadside and ramp work. Bring the family as activities for children will be offered including Facepainting with Christine Z from 10-11. Check out MPF Logo Gear on sale which includes a wide variety of apparel and Manchaug Pond themed items from cribbage boards to baseball hats, tee shirts to fleece … lake photos,  wood Lake Art to order, playing cards, mugs, and more! Purchase your flares for the Lighting of the Shoreline, July 3rd at 9:00 p.m. or as Safe Boating equipment for your vessel. Register, sponsor, and volunteer for this year’s The DAM …

Water Quality sampling equipment

Virtual Training for Cyanobacteria/Algae Water Quality Monitors

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A virtual training will take place Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30 p.m. for cyanobacteria monitoring volunteers.  We invite all to join this informative presentation and the Manchaug/Stevens team offered by the Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative (WCMC). While volunteers are needed at Manchaug Pond, you may attend to just learn more about our efforts in water quality.  All are welcome and no experience is necessary. Contact us to volunteer and click here to register! Manchaug Pond Foundation enters the 4th year of monitoring with the WCMC giving tremendous baseline data and as one component to our organizations overall water quality program!  While Manchaug Pond and Stevens Pond do NOT have an algae or cyanobacteria problem, with past levels either at “not detected” or extremely low levels, we do monitor in order to learning more about the waters and the ecology of our lakes and to protect the health and safety of this water resource and all who enjoy. Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative: The Collaborative is a group of citizen science volunteers who work to better understand the diversity of algae and cyanobacteria in the lakes and ponds of Worcester County under the guidance of the City of Worcester.  Visit their website …

Manchaug Pond Foundation Water Quality

Lake & Watershed-wide Spring Clean-up

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Let’s do it! The Manchaug Pond Foundation invites you to the annual spring cleanup of Manchaug Pond and its watershed for Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 9 AM to Noon with a rain date the following day.  Volunteers are needed to canvas the lake shoreline, public boat ramp, and watershed roadsides to remove litter and other potential threats to water quality: in boats to cover the lake’s coves and shoreline, walking the watershed roadsides, at the public access boat ramp, in pickup trucks to shuttle volunteers and pick up bags of trash. Go it alone or meet anytime from 9 AM to 12:00 Noon at the Public Access Boat Ramp at 22 Torrey Road in Sutton to team up with others, get gloves and trash bags, and grab some refreshment and conversation. Community service completion sheets will be signed for youth, scouts, community and church groups and any others needing documentation of time donated to a great cause! All are invited to join Manchaug Pond! If you plan to go it alone or with your own team, please contact us! with the neighborhood or roadside(s) you will be addressing so that we can maximize the area covered. Watershed roads, in …

Manchaug Pond Foundation Spring Cleanup 2022

Hello Spring: An April Update!

Posted April 13, 2022 Hello everyone!  Manchaug Pond’s waterlevel is up, the spring peepers are singing in the coves and wetlands, and the boats are already making waves! We’re ready for the warm summer season! Through the winter months, the Manchaug Pond Foundation Board of Directors has met regularly with our organization advocating and taking action in a number of local, regional, and state arenas to raise awareness, and secure support and fiscal resources to benefit the health of Manchaug Pond and it watershed.  As headwaters/ a major contributor to the Mumford River, as a recreation and tourism destination, and as a valuable water resource of the Commonwealth, Manchaug Pond is significant. In serving, I’ll be providing regular updates as to our efforts and accomplishments together and opportunities for you to make a difference! _______ Tonight, April 13th at 6PM, the Town of Sutton will hold an information-seeking meeting to discuss the river’s flow through the village of Manchaug: the dams, the ponds, and the flows which impact the village community.  The goal is to pursue a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant to identify existing issues and then create a plan and prioritize solutions and improvements which could include dam …

The Dam Race Logo 2021

Register for The DAM Race 5K Run, 3K Walk!

Posted September 30, 2021 Get your sneakers and come out to the Manchaug Pond shoreline for annual The DAM Race 5K Run & 3K Health Walk – run, walk or cheer’em on! Register and/or sponsor and do it today to guarantee your race day t-shirt! 9:30 am start for runners and walkers with registration as early as 8:30. Rain or shine. Proceeds benefit the Manchaug Pond Foundation, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit public charity. THE DAM RACE is a 5K (3.1 mile) course for runners that takes participants for a scenic trek along Manchaug Pond. Walkers will enjoy a healthy 3K (1.9 mile) route. The start and finish line offers parking for contestants and spectators. There will be a turn-around location mid-race. Volunteers will control traffic, ensure safety and cheer you on! Prizes and refreshments post-race! Visit our race page for details. Sign up to run or walk, purchase a race day t-shirt, and sponsor the event all supporting a great cause – Manchaug Pond!