Life on the Lake

Having raised 4 children on the lake, over the years I have to say I have never heard any of them say they were bored. The lake certainly is the center of activity no matter what the season! Here's more photos from Sunday:

How about 4 wheeling and a visit with neighbors!


or ice skating!


or snowmobiling!


or snowboarding!?


or ice fishing!


or cross-country ice skating!?


or your own fishing derby!


Whatever the fun, we are always a little sad when we have to go home!


Manchaug Pond, a great place to be!

Sunday a Great day on the Lake!

Great day on the lake today: Blue sky, sunshine, little wind, and good ice!
Area 1 (the homes before Holbrook') and the south cove of Areas 5 and 6 had plenty of socializing ice fishing and snowmobiling. The rest of the lake was quiet except for some ice skating & hockey at a couple homes in Area 7 & 8. I also saw the four wheeler of Area 8 riding along the shore.

Dam Still Open

The dam is open with the Interface dam caretaker watching our docks
so the ice does freeze around them. The dam is open 6" which
is more than the usual 2 inches at this of the year.

We have noticed a number of duck swimming and eating in the flow between Manchaug
and Steven's. I figure they are enjoying the peace of the water there
under the cover of the trees. Area 2 reports that the seagulls this
year are quite aggressive with a member witnessing an attack of a visiting merganser duck.

Ice Fisherman Hit the Lake

Manchaug Pond, with this cold spell, has a thin coat of ice on it - enough for the ice fisherman to be out on the lake in the area in front of the dam. Clearly not thick enough for me :)

Ice on the Lake

This just in from a photographer in Area 2! With this cold spell this week (morning temperatures in the teens), ice has finally been forming on the lake. Later in the day, the wind opened up this "river".

Email your photos - we'd love to see them! Remember we have members in 30 communities other than Douglas and Sutton and from 7 states with some "overwintering" in Florida. They love "seeing" how the lake looks each day.

Dam Owner Keeps Water Level High

Manchaug Pond is at high water levels for this time of year, with the gate repaired and low water a distant memory.


The dam owner called this week to give the MPA the inside info on how they're handling this unusual winter with no snow cover. (Of course, its snowing as I write this!) First of all, Fuddy, the caretaker will have you know that in his 23 years at this job that this is very unusual to have no snow by mid-January. The plan is to keep the water as high as possible, without ice damage to docks, in case we have a dry spring. Without snow cover we won't have a spring melt to bring us up.

In the meantime, we have been getting plenty of rain and a frozen ground that means plenty of run-off. The first week in January we recieved 2 inches of rain which brought the lake up 20 inches. In response, Fuddy had the gate opened 18 inches.

This week he had the gate back to two inches and was monitoring the weather channel for the possibility of rain - ready to open it up again. "No one watches the Weather Channel as much as I do! Its on all day!" Fuddy reports.

Look to the Sky... Eagles!

The sky above Manchaug Pond has been the focus the last few weeks with a number of eagles hunting our waters. A member from Area 2 reported spotting two immature eagles feeding at Blueberry Island and circling the other islands of the lake on Christmas Eve. Since then other members from Areas 2, 3 and 8 have reported seeing 2 immatures and 1 adult soaring, hunting, and perched high in the trees.

The giant and majestic adult pictured here was caught this week circling high over a chicken coop in Area 3. After about 5 minutes of checking out the coop, it headed toward Steven's Pond.



For a closer look at an adult Bald Eagle click on to the title of this entry and it will take you to the recent Worcester Telegram article on the recent count results held each year in Massachusetts.

Also if you have any photos you would like to share, email them to me at phyllis@abragraphics.net and I will post them here for all to see! Did anyone get a close-up shot or get a new camera lens for Christmas! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR MANCHAUG POND!!

Happy New Year! 2007! Time sure does fly!


With 2007, the Manchaug Pond Association celebrates 40 years of service to the lake, the year-round and seasonal residents, and to the community. The MPA was formed in 1967 to "the promote the welfare and correct use of Manchaug Pond and the contiguous area."

2007 promises to be a full year for the MPA with two MAJOR projects to bring to fruition. First, to oversee the implementation of the federal EPA storm drain grant we secured in 2006. The project brings $129,000 to the MPA to build storm drains, catch basins and the like on the roads around Manchaug Pond and to develop educational materials and programs for residents and businesses operating in the watershed. The benefits are long-term with specific measures designed to reduce nuisance aquatic weed growth and improve water quality. The engineering firm of CEI (Comprehensive Environmental Inc.) will oversee the technical and reporting end of things, the Highway Departments of the towns of Douglas and Sutton will do the work on the roads and at the state boat ramp and MPA volunteers will work with CEI on the educational component.

Secondly, the MPA will continue the effort to form a municipal watershed district for the lake area. This will directly give the lake a stronger presence within the two towns, will empower us to act quickly and effectively on future issues, and will open doors for future grants monies available only to municipal entities. The MPA Board of Directors began in February of 2006 looking at the best options for the future of the lake and met again in May consulting the Congress of Lake and Pond Associations (COLAP) and the Cedar Meadow Lake Watershed Association. They voted unanimously to bring the municipal district option to the membership. Informational public meetings were held in June (with the District Clerk of Cedar Meadows Watershed District speaking to the pros and cons & ins and outs) and in August with the many in attendance voting unanimously at both meetings in support of the formation of a Manchaug Pond District. A third public meeting was held in December with the MPA President giving a PowerPoint presentation on the initiative and the attorney hired by the MPA to spearhead the process answered questions asked by those in attendence. The MPA also met in June with the newly formed Whitin Reservoir Association, who is also looking to form a district.

Again, 2007 promises to be an exciting year!