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 …

On the lookout for cyanobacteria

Posted January 20, 2022 Join us this evening at 6:30 p.m. for a virtual water quality event presented by the Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative.  Manchaug Pond Foundation joined the collaborative last year for the 2021 monitoring season. Our volunteers took monthly samples with the goal of learning more about Manchaug Pond and about the algae found naturally in the lake. Tonight program data on Worcester and participating area lakes will be highlighted.  Manchaug Pond’s results were superb! What contributes to algae blooms and cyanobacteria occurrences in lakes and ponds?  Negative impacts to our water quality occur when nutrients and sediment flow into our water resources either directly or through watershed streams and runoff. Nutrient-rich lawn and landscape fertilizer,  pet and other animal waste, and malfunctioning septic systems can all be major threats to our blue spaces.  Excessive nutrients promote aquatic plant growth and increase algae which can cause widespread algae blooms. Special thanks to our volunteers and to the City of Worcester Parks & Recreation Department Blue Spaces team for this effort.  Watch for more information on our efforts to protect Manchaug Pond’s water!

Stormwater rain barrel

Tonight! A Residential Guide to Stormwater Webinar

A Residential Guide to Stormwater  Wednesday, May 12th 6:00pm- 7:30pm EST Register Online Webinar Description: What people do in and around their homes can impact stormwater runoff and the water quality in your nearby rivers, lakes and ponds. In this training hosted by the Providence Stormwater Innovation Center, residents will learn stormwater-friendly landscaping, horticulture tips, techniques, and how to treat your yard like a small ecosystem. The chemicals and pesticides you use in and around your home can be detrimental to your own plants and habitat as well as to downstream water quality. The training will also provide information on how to design, size, construct and maintain residential rain gardens and rain barrels. Rain garden site assessment, soil analysis, plant selection and safety measures are all critical elements to consider when constructing a rain garden on your home. This training is provided by the Providence Stormwater Innovation Center in partnership with the SNEP Network. Read More Trainers:Lee Ann Freitas, Botanical Center Director, Providence Parks Department Amelia Rose, Director, Groundwork Rhode Island Steve Ricci, Director of Field Operations, Groundwork Rhode Island Jake Gorke, Ranger, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council Sara Canuel, Education Director, Woonasquatucketer River Watershed Council Providence Stormwater Innovation Center Video Recordings: The video …