Weds-Public Hearing; Thursday - April Showers; Friday - Longing for Flashboards

Wednesday - A Public Hearing has been scheduled by the Sutton Conservation Commission for tomorrow evening. I read about it in the local newspaper, seems it's just some housekeeping/updating/ tightening up of some language and the addition of a definition with the local wetland regulation. No need to attend.
I understand they have photos like these three below on file.


This is the inlet of Manchaug Pond as it is today. Typically at this time of year the water is high, the land is under water. Without the flashboards being in, the lake is drying up. You can see the bank at the edge of the woods. You can see the docks in the distance. The area is usually water not field and stone.




Holbrook's Cove is famous for great turtle hunting, bullfrogs, those singing peepers, ducks, herons, dragonflies and a whole host of creatures. Our three oldest children and their cousins used to take the canoe in to hunt for snapping turtles - They'd come back to camp with some so big they'd struggled to lift him! (Don't worry it was all catch and release - just for the sport of it!) A lake is a great place to grow up: whether you're a day camper at the YMCA Camp Blanchard, camping with your family at a campground, coming in through the boat ramp or as a day swimmer/picnicing at a campground beach, visiting relatives at a summer cottage or living on the lake year round.



Thursday - Rain is in the forecast - April showers. Sure would be nice to capture that rain and all that runoff from the watershed.

That brings me to Friday - Longing for Flashboards. I'm worried. The lake is currently a good foot below last year's fish kill level. Last year the level was pretty much flat-lined all summer after DEP told Interface to put the flashboards in at that May 9th meeting. And we still had major problems.





Let's see, Interface is proposing 515.4 elevation for the water level. May 2008 we reached 516.5. With the flashboards in mid-May we went a couple inches higher only to experience the fish kill the beginning of June. (Reported to both MassWildlife and DEP - DEP sent two investigators out to the Douglas shore.)

If that wasn't bad enough, June 15, 2008 Mass Wildlife staff conducted a routine electrofishing survey on an unnamed tributary to Manchaug Pond. The crew reported "that the drawdown had created a disconnect between the stream and the pond." The survey of this coldwater fisheries resource "yielded 120 native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) as well as white suckers, yellow bullheads and blacknose dace." Disconnect.

Fuddy used to call me to let the MPA and everyone on the reservoir know when the flashboards were going in. March 11, 2007 I recorded taking his call.

Flashboards: to keep us happy, Sutton Conservation happy, DEP happy, the critters alive and happy. Some riprap to keep Office of Dam Safety happy. Nice picture.

MORE DEAD: Mussel & Clam Shells Litter State Boat Ramp

I had heard about this from a fisherman and from a Board member who lives a few houses up from the State Ramp.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of tiny empty shells on the shore aside of the launch area on Torrey Road. Here are photos taken March 20 and 22, 2009.


Do you see them? They are teeney tiny shells. Open and empty.





My guess is the invasive exotic Asian Clam - this is not a mussel and the location of the state boat ramp makes me think it was brought in and I haven't encountered them before. I have an email into the Massachusetts Weed Watchers Program to get them identified and to get myself trained on exotic invasive species. (If you want to attend a workshop, let me know: InfoMPA@charter.net) In any case, their name doesn't matter. What matters is they once lived here with the mussels pictured below and now they are dead.





The dollar bill gives you a reference as to their size.


This last photo was taken at the end of the walkway to the left of the boat launch through the water. These are mussel shells which looked to be about 1 1/2 inches long. It is extremely common to see mussels shell 3 - 3 1/2 inches long on the shore in a cache among the rocks or on the underside of a dock after a muskrat has had a feast. But I don't remember seeing small ones this size.


The cause of death? As Interface's engineer Stantec points out in a March 4th letter to SCC concerning our gone and severly declined spring peeper and bullfrog populations in 4 cove areas, the same holds true with our mussel population... "Stantec is not aware of any on-going studies or reports documenting amphibian populations around the reservoir. We are also not aware of any documented report from any local, state or federal agency linking a decline in amphibian populations to the lower water levels from this spring."

Okay. How about an independent study, and winter drawdown...

Dated September 16, 2008, the MPA presented written testimony to the Sutton Conservation Commission siting 2003 recommendations from Lee Lyman of Lycott Environmental with respect to Interface's winter drawdown for Manchaug Pond which read:

"Gradually begin mid-September to early October to 'allow certain aquatic organisms such as fresh water mussels, crayfish, turtles and amphibians to migrate to deeper portions of the water body to over-winter.'"

The 2008 drawdown began the second week of December just before the hearvy rains on the 13th. Too late for the slow moving mussels and clams. Manchaug Pond is also home to crayfish, turtles and amphiblians...

If you notice anything out-of-the-ordinary, any adverse impact to the lake ecosystem, notify the Sutton and Douglas Conservation Commissions.

Further, the state Generic Environmental Impact Report can also be referenced for information on drawdowns: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/waterSupply/lakepond/geir.htm

Still Painting... the Flashboards and the Gentleman's Agreement

Here's the Manchaug Pond Dam as it looked Friday. Looks good doesn't it! That's the "spillway." The light gray of the new mortar provides good contrast against the blue lake, not to mention the starkness of the trees.



Dam owner Interface Global/Guilford of Maine/Manchaug Reservoir Corp tells us in the August, 2008 Sutton NOI (Notice of Intent) that the dam "is a composite rubble masonry and earth-filled structure approximately 330 feet long and 28 feet high. The upstream face is of stepped rubble masonry construction. Originally built in 1854, the dam was reconstructed in 1960 when earthfill at a slope of 2 to 1 was added to cover the downstream surface of the dam. There are two outlet control devices: a spillway and a low level outlet. The spill way, a concrete box culvert, 9.35 feet high has a fixed crest width of 10.0 feet at elevation 515.90. The crest has slots to accommodate 2.70 foot high flashboards. The low level outlet, located near the right abutment, is equipped with a mechanical hand-operated gate which has an opening 2 feet by 2 feet." (see page 10 of Operations Plan for Low Flow Augmentation Program, Mumford River, East Douglas, Mass.)



Further, on pg 13: "Starting in February, there should be minimal or no releases from the reservoirs while still maintaining the 15 CFS minimum flow in the river at East Douglas. ... installation of flashboards at this dam... in early April." That's the scenario painted for over half a century with the flashboards going in in March. 2007 the former caretaker reported them going in March 11th (Note: a 16cfs requirement now for downstream and Manchaug Pond is never closed as there is always a flow from the updated 2006 low-level gate providing a riffle for downstream aquatic life)

On March 4th of this year, the MPA was told that the new caretaker would have to take the lake down to below the crest level, in order to get the flashboards in properly and safely.



Okkaay. So if we go with that theory.... This month the lake has been taken down. Friday's photos show the lake is sufficiently BELOW the spillway crest with no flow through the spillway culvert box. The flashboards can now be installed safely and efficiently. April 1 is Wednesday and with April showers expected, the lake can be filled to historic levels.



Now for those of you with a good memory.... In May of 2008, Interface met with DEP on this whole flashboards issue and was told to get them in. period. Interface wrote a letter explaining their take on the meeting, and the next week complied. With flashboards dropped in, not too long after, they finally closed the low-level gate was closed. Back in the day, my Father would have called this a "Gentlemen's Agreement." Granted the dam owner was not too keen on the deal and DEP was pressing hard but... but there was an agreement and compliance.

The agreement with DEP gets the flashboards in - this year by April 1, capturing the spring rains, to prevent further damage to the ecosystem around the lake and to prevent flooding downstream. (Note: this weekend's height of the pool at the falls in the village near the old library. Also note: last year's fishkill was above this spillway crest level and although is was a very wet spring and summer, Manchaug never filled with the mid-May compliance.)

Let Weds' picture be painted by gentlemen working for an environmentally sensitive corporation who choose to comply with the DEP agreement AND the Order of the Sutton Conservation Commissions to uphold the Wetland Protections Act. T

Today's Painters: Eagles Visiting Manchaug Pond!

Things are looking up today.... Two eagles were spotted on Manchaug Pond this morning: an adult and an immature. The adult is easy to spot with its white head and tail feathers while the young lack the white feathers.

Mary Griffin, Commissioner of the state Department of Fish and Game reported seventy eagles were spotted during the one-day survey held this past January. If you remember from January through March of 2007, eagles were a common sight on Manchaug Pond: 1 adult and two young spent months fishing and soaring over Manchaug and Steven's Ponds.
Check the blog archives to see what we reported in 2007!

They are a magnificent sight - and paint a majestic picture!

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/ file 2008)



For more information:
http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/wildlife/index.php?subject=Birds:%20Species&id=51

http://www.firstlightpower.com/eagles/eaglevid.asp

The first photo is courtesy of First Light Power Resources

Today's Picture: State Public Access Boat Ramp

One lone bass boat is fishing this side of the causeway. Lots of rocks in Manchaug. Rocks where you launch, rocks in the channel, and rocks around the shore. Actually, they're boulders.


http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/pab/pab_schedevents.htm
Scroll down..... does your club have a tournament next month on Manchaug Pond?

2007 the MPA compiled a list of 25 clubs with a combined membership of over 430 members who scheduled weekend events on Manchaug Pond from the state Public Access Ramp. Big bass clubs aren't the only organized groups but also canoe and kayak clubs. This year the season starts April 19 with the Lip Rippers Bass Club with 16 members and the Bass Pigs with 20 members on the 26th. Just a quick scan through the list shows a lot of new clubs we didn't record in 2007 - I mean just the first two are names you don't forget! That alone is a lot of people accessing Manchaug Pond through the ramp - not to mention the recreational boaters skiing, tubing, etc who don't belong to clubs, and all those that come during the week without a permit.

Here's photos from 2005, of a few of the many members of a RI canoe/kayak club heading for the ramp after a trip around Manchaug. This event was advertised with Barnes and Nobles sponsoring - Moonlight on Manchaug - I believe.



Let's paint a picture where the water level is up to it correct level, higher and deeper than today, so the public can access this Great Pond .

You Ask...Paint a picture...

Paint a picture you ask...

This morning the lake is calm. Like a mirror, it reflects the blues of the sky, the grays and browns of the shoreline rocks and trees and the occasional burst of white or pale color from a shoreline cottage. The migrating ducks have arrived this month - the shy Common Mergansers with their distinctive red beak, black heads and back and white sides - a regular sight these past few weeks as they are each year in their small flock. A couple Wood ducks, some Hooded Mergansers, and a few Golden Eyes have also been seen by our 1st Vice President. Buffleheads, and others will soon join them. As spring bursts forward, we'll find the red buds of the maples, the new green of foliage and the yellow of the marsh marigolds and other wetlands flowers in the watershed. Spring will also bring the metallics of bass boats, neons of kayaks and the sights and sounds of an active lake community.

... One can paint a number of pictures of the various scenarios that can unfold...

Personally, I would like to see our dam owner, Interface Global, comply with the Sutton Conservation Commission's Order of Conditions AND comply with the Office of Dam Safety's 1/2 pmf requirement. Flash boards in. Water level up. Dam all set. Fish, frogs, and other creatures all happy and cozy as clams.

Don't laugh. It is doable. Easily workable. Interface has a legendary reputation for being an internationally "green" company having a founder with an environmental vision. Compliance with local conservation laws and state safety regulations is, at a minimum, the backbone of "corporate environmental responsibility." Also, it just makes good business sense and good PR. Shouldn't every business today strive to be a good neighbor and good stewards of the environment?

This Order of Condition is best for the environment here on Manchaug Pond and downstream. As for safety - I had someone who lives elsewhere in town tell me the dam is in bad shape - untrue! Interface has kept that dam well-maintained. They have been a good steward of the dam. What needs addressing is the 1/2 pmf standard. (probable maximum flood) Some tell me its the models and the interpretation used to obtain the 1/2 pmf, but putting that aside a simple Google search brings you to workable solutions other engineers have employed to address the 1/2 pmf safety standard... solutions as simple as throwing rip rap on the earthen side of the dam or putting in a side spillway above the normal peak elevation to handle a once in a lifetime rainfall. Feasible and not offensive to the wetlands resource.

Let's paint the best case scenario for this central Massachusetts ecosystem. Let's expect this company, Interface Global/Guilford of Maine/Manchaug Reservoir Corporation who with their predecessors harnessed the waters of the Mumford River for the profit and benefit of the mill business for so many years, let's expect them to do the right thing, to do the green thing, to do the responsible thing for the Manchaug Pond Dam.

That is the picture they could paint.

Sutton Order of Conditions DEP # 303-0669

Late yesterday, the Sutton Conservation Commission released the long awaited for Order of Conditions for Interface Global's Notice of Intent - DEP # 303-0669 which seeks to bring the water level down 3 1/2 feet plus and reduce the acreage by 55+ acres. The Order is 13 pages long plus support material of 7 attachments from engineers, MRC letters, and water level graphs, etc...

I have to say I was not confident as to its contents, but the Order does uphold the Wetlands Protection Act, does put mechanisms in place to ensure communication up and downstream and does acknowledge the well-maintained condition of the dam.

Here's a quick look at the Special Conditions on page 11

1. "Applicant shall maintain water levels generally in accordance with the Historic Rule Curve developed in the 1930's and used throughout operations of the dam through early 2008, and shall maintain water levels at, but no higher than the, Historic and Operational Rule Curve in a manner similiar to the dam's recent history of operations;"

2. "..... install a standard staff gauge.... 40-50 feet beyond it downstream...."

3. "Applicant shall release water generally in accordance with the advanced flow regime...Mumford Low Flow Study..."

4. ".... because it is not headquartered on-site.... sufficient Notice and in attendance by a MRC agent, two Town of Sutton-designated representatives... monitor the water levels and who shall notify the dam operator of any changes or inconsistencies in the conditions of the structure and its operation."

5. ... continuous contact with the owner of Sutton Falls Dam ....Steven's Pond Dam, Town of Sutton, Whitin's Dam, Town of Douglas and the Douglas Wastewater Treatment Plant and the owner of Lackey Dam..."

6. Applicant ... maintain public liability and casualty insurance..."

7. Applicant shall immediately implement the repair and maintenance recommendations contained in....Kleinschmidt.."

8. Any damage caused... to any wetland resource areas shall be the responsibility of the Applicant to repair, restore and /or replace...."

9. "... file formal procedural protocol document with the Town of Sutton, DEP, ODS, Army Corps of Engineers, Town of Douglas.... detail...plan in anticipation of predicted 1"-12+" rainfall/storm events..."

The Dam is Well-Maintained

Questions were raised as to the actual condition of the dam. Here's a list of some repairs and upgrades which were noted by the dam owner in the process before the Sutton Conservation Commission.

November, 2008: Routine maintenance - mow downstream face, debris from the drain lines, seal gap between spillway box and stone masonry, repair spillway floor and expansion joints, repoint upstream face above waterlevel.

September, 2008: Improvements to the cage around the gate.



October, 2006: Replacement and updating of the low-level gate. (see slideshow at top right)




2005: Repair to spillway concrete box culvert.

1960: Extensive changes with the crest widened and raised and the downstream embankment was constructed.

1836: Original construction.

Manchaug Dam Hearing Weds 3/18 at 8:00

Weds., March 18th 8:00 p.m. continued public hearing for the Manchaug Pond Dam. See you there!

The documents presented at March 4th's public hearing including the dam owner's revised Operation & Maintenance Plan and rule curve look to:

* reduce the lake 65 acres from 360 acres to 295 acres!

* take the peak water level down 3 1/2 - 4 + feet from over 519
elevation to 515.4 (significant for a pond with a mean depth
of 13 ft.) and even lower in fall and spring!

* impact 100% of the bank or 5 1/2 miles of shoreline which provides
spawning area, wetland habitats, etc.!

* disconnect coldwater tributaries, one of which is documented
habitat for native brook trout by Mass Fisheries & Wildlife!

* adversely impact private wells around the lake!

* cut off public access to the Great Pond!


Wednesday, March 18th at 8:00 p.m. Sutton Conservation Commission - Continuance of Public Hearing on Manchaug Reservoir Corp revised NOI for Manchaug Reservoir. DEP # 303-0669

(How about that new slideshow! What do you think? Leave a comment!)

Whitin Reservoir Dam - Monday Night before DCC

Monday, March 16th, at 8:45 p.m. the Whitin Reservoir Dam, belonging to Manchaug's sister lake - the Douglas Res., is on the agenda of the Douglas Conservation Commission as dam owner Mumford River Reservoir Corp proposes to reduce its size and waterlevel.

Weds, March 18th, at 8:00 p.m. before the Sutton Conservation Commission, MRC's Public Hearing on proposed reduction of Manchaug Pond continues.

Douglas Conservation Commission Mtg. - Part II

As I reported earlier, the MPA received a written invitation to come before the Douglas Conservation Commission to discuss conservation issues where they specifically asked our assistance in passing the word as to what activities fall under the Wetlands Protection Act and what ones do not.

At the Monday, March 2nd DCC meeting, the commission gave us a three fold brochure they had put together and offered a forum for us all to talk about the association, its efforts and hopes for Manchaug Pond. In a relaxed atmosphere we were specifically able to thank the town of Douglas for completing their road work at two sites which is part of the 319 grant to reduce pollution/stormwater, report on the educational efforts of our exhibit, cleanups and workshops of 2008 and look to enlisting their involvement in future grant opportunities focused on water quality and watershed involvement and conservation.

The brochure is available on our website in pdf form at http://manchaugpondassociation.org/news.html and will be sent to our mailing listing in the weeks ahead.

For our many readers who are not at the lake in winter, you can view the Douglas meetings online as well as check out agendas and minutes yourself! I tried downloading it to the blog but it is too large.
http://www.douglasma.org/cable/online_programs.php

Photos of yesterday's ice floe blown up on shore.

Manchaug & Whitin Reservoirs - Mark Your Calendar!

If you enjoy the waters of either of these two local reservoirs either as a shoreline resident, summer home renter, as a visitor at a campground, through the State Public Access Ramp, the waterslide, the YMCA day camp, or just enjoy the scenery as you drive by or live in the watershed or access downstream... this is of interest to you.

For the Manchaug Pond whose dam is in Sutton, the public hearing process has been continued. For our sister lake and the Whitin Reservoir dam in Douglas, it has just begun:

Monday, March 16th at 8:45 p.m. Douglas Conservation Commission - Mumford River Reservoir Corp's NOI (Notice of Intent) for Whitin Reservoir.

Wednesday, March 18th at 8:00 p.m. Sutton Conservation Commission - Continuance of Public Hearing on Manchaug Reservoir Corp's NOI for Manchaug Reservoir. DEP # 303-0669

Thanks for Plowing the State Boat Ramp!

Thanks to the Sutton Town Administrator and Highway Dept for answering the MPA's request to plow the State Boat Ramp. A number of residents on the lake brought it to our attention that they had helped people who were stuck at the ramp and on the ice (a Jeep thing!) The MPA, with safety in mind, asked the town to just a cleared path down and around.



With last week's storm the Highway Department's heavy equipment was seen opening the ramp up and later that afternoon a fisherman was out on the ice. When I saw the superb job the town did, I thought "never mind a tow truck or the rescue squad, the Life Flight Helicopter can make it in!"

Today on Manchaug Pond

Ice melting, a winged visitor, and snowdrops in the garden on Manchaug Pond...











Special thanks to the MPA member who sent in the photo of the swan in the channel!

Mass Voters Choose the Fisherman

Massachusetts voters chose the fisherman over the farm. We are disappointed. Waters Farm sits on the hillside of the watershed overlooking the lake, a gift from a past MPA secretary to the Town of Sutton used as a living history museum and representing a wholesome time of simple New England life....


but then again what can we say... here on Manchaug Pond we too like fisherman.

I'll leave up the Waters Farm slide show for a few more days.

Here is the official release... on March 05, 2009, the Governor's office released the following results to their contest:

Massachusetts Citizens Select Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial to be Featured on a Quarter
BOSTON– Thursday, March 05, 2009 – Governor Deval Patrick today announced the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial received the most votes from citizens throughout the Commonwealth to be featured on a new Massachusetts quarter created by the U.S. Mint. Governor Patrick announced the selection via his official Twitter feed, www.twitter.com/MassGovernor.

The three alternate sites selected by voters are the Lowell National Historic Park, the House of Seven Gables in Salem and the U.S.S. Constitution.

The state received 245,000 votes online at www.mass.gov to select their favorite nationally-recognized site to be featured on the new quarter. The site received votes from citizens throughout the Commonwealth, with Worcester, Middlesex and Essex counties putting forward the most votes.

The U.S. Mint asked Massachusetts, in addition to the other 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories, to select one preferred and three alternate Massachusetts national sites to be featured on the reverse of a quarter. As part of America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act, the new quarters will be issued at the rate of five new designs per year beginning in 2010, and will be issued in the order in which the selected sites were established as national sites.

To learn more, go to: http://www.mass.gov/governor/quarter.

21 days: Dam Owner Risk vs. Wetlands Protection Act

Weds, March 4th another Public Hearing was held at the Sutton Conservation Commission for Manchaug Reservoir Corp's newly revised Notice of Intent Operation and Maintenance Plan for the Manchaug Pond dam and reservoir.

Two attorneys represented Interface Fabrics - one from the Boston law firm and the other from Interface's Atlanta, Georgia corporate headquarters.

Additionally, the attorneys presented 2 more documents: 1. a memo from their engineering firm Stantec addressing the MPA's September testimony and 2. a Stantec memo looking at Manchaug Pond as a Great Pond. (Interface did not give the MPA a copy so I can't give you details yet.)



Bottom line: The Sutton Conservation Commission (SCC) voted to continue the hearing for the purpose of having a peer review of the revised Notice of Intent. SCC stated they understood MRC %Interface's position with dam safety but needed "reasonable time to review" the revised NOI and assess the extent of the alternations to the resource. SCC has called for a peer review since last fall.
MRC denied permission/did not consent to the peer review.
SCC has 21 days to respond/rule.

In the meantime Interface is to comply with the DEP order of May 2008 to put in the flashboards. SCC also gave MRC, a list of requests which I believe I heard included having the flashboards in by April 1.

MRC, during the course of the meeting, explained that three different engineering firms recommended they operate at three different levels because of the Office of Dam Safety's new reporting form. Depending on which report you look at the level goes from 519 to 517 to 515.4. (And I might add, not to mention historical levels above 519.) they sited Hurricane "Katrina shows us that the dam was operated as unsafe." "...simply cannot and will not operate ... we cannot operate the dam at a risk."

For those village residents Manchaug Reservoir Corp. named during the meeting who they are protecting, the condition of the dam is not at issue. The dam is well maintained and in good condition. Over the years, Interface has been an attentive dam owner, noteworthy are the major repairs made to the low level gate in 2006 and the yearly mowing, trimming and patch work completed last fall. Again the condition of the dam is not at issue in this case.

Water Level Public Hearing - March 4th - Sutton Conservation Commission

Weds, March 4th, 8:00 p.m. Sutton Town Hall before the Sutton Conservation Commission

a public hearing to consider the NEWLY REVISED Notice of Intent proposed by dam owner.

The new Operations and Maintenance Plan and Rule Curve Plan for Manchaug Reservoir calls for the reduction of the lake by about 55 acres and the waterlevel down by 3 1/2 to 4 feet.

All interested individuals can attend. Written testimony/letters can be sent to the Sutton Conservation Commission, Sutton Town Hall, 4 Uxbridge Road, Sutton, MA 01590

As for today's water level...

I did notice the dam was opened Saturday - I would guess in anticipation of this snowstorm. So far we have 8 1/2 inches of snow here on Manchaug Pond. You can see by the weekend photo that the flow is coming from the low level gate. The water level is still lower than the spillway and the flashboards/stoplogs are not yet in.


To contact the MPA:
email us at infoMPA@charter.net
or write to us at MPA, P.O.Box 154, Manchaug, MA 01526

Douglas Conservation Commission Mtg. - "What is the deal..."

Hello all!

Yesterday's commenter asks -

Anonymous said...

What is the deal with the MPA appearing before the Douglas Con. Con. on Monday Night?


If you monitor the Town of Douglas' website, checking out their meeting agendas, you'll notice that yes indeed the MPA is on the agenda for tomorrow Conservation Commission meeting.

"Why?" you ask. Well, I will be able to tell you more tomorrow. You see, the Commission sent a letter inviting the MPA to the meeting to "discuss conservation issues and guidelines pertaining to Manchaug Pond."

More to come...