2009 Fall Cleanup a Success!

All for one and one for all! Annual Fall Cleanup 2009 a success! ending with chocolate, blueberry and choc. chip muffins and a box of Joe!


18 volunteers from 11 households cleaned the state public access boat ramp, Manchaug Road from Central Turnpike to Torrey Road, Torrey to Oak St, Shore Road, and Lackey Road as well as the lake shoreline areas which were not cleaned during the spring cleanup event. Whew!

Covering the Shoreline and lake areas:



The public boat ramp:



Along Shore Road and the conservation land:



Also a few invasive weeds not picked up during the Weed Cleanup a few weeks ago also made there way to the truck!



Along Manchaug Road:


Strange finds included a distributor cap and a part to a high tech weather machine or something!



Great job everyone! It was a pleasure working with all of you - we sure covered a lot of area.



(I also was told the story about last week's boating accident from two eyewitnesses. We're working on getting the pics, video and story to you via the blog! Stay tuned.)

Manchaug Pond Needs YOU!

Come on, we want YOU! Lake Cleanup this morning! Rise and shine! :)

See you around 9 at the boat ramp. I bought muffins - the big ones from BJ's.

I have rubber gloves too to keep your gloves clean. If you've never joined us before you'll find the work easy, the company and conversation good, tremendous scenery, and a superb mission/purpose - the care of your Manchaug Pond.

Don't just let the MPA Board of Directors do the work - lend a hand - even for a 1/2 hour!

Tomorrow - Join us for the Annual Clean-up!

Our annual Fall Clean-up is tomorrow morning, Saturday, October 17th from 9 to noon. The town has the truck parked waiting for us to get to work! Our coordinator wants YOU ALL to come join the MPA Board of Directors as we...

Hit the road!



Hit the Boat Ramp!



Hit the shore!



Our annual clean-up targets litter and illegal dumping in and around the lake. 9:00 am to noon. Meet at the Boat Ramp on Torrey Road to get a bag and fan out from there or take a piece of your own shore or a roadside and get to work. If you thought the Weed Cleanup was hard work- you'll find this a breeze! Thursday we spotted two early birds cleaning up Lackey Road and Manchaug getting a head start on the job.

Thank you to the Sutton Highway Dept. for joining us in this effort with the use of the truck and disposal of trash collected.

Weather Change

Yesterday was Blog Action Day where once a year Blogger asks all those users to write about a given subject. This year the topic is climate change. Given I am not a meteorologist, I will leave the research and speculation about the global climate to others and focus on the weather instead! Sorry Blogger.

Here it is October 16th and what should have been our first frost is actually the morning of our first snow! Snow is falling as we speak, the wind is gusting up and the temperature is at 32 F. The fall foliage, especially in Area 1, has well begun the promised reds, oranges and yellows. Photos will be posted later today.

Also we hope to give you some details/photos/video of the boat involved in Saturday's boating mishap - one of our MPA Board members heard it on the police scanner and is tracking down some details. With Manchaug Pond noted for its rocky shore combined with the early low waterlevel, boat safety has been a big concern. The boat ramp and the campgrounds bring in an ever-changing population of recreational boaters which are not always familiar with the lake.

Turkeys Abundant!

Bow hunters must be in the woods today as the turkeys are hanging out in yards and along the roadsides.









And further down the road, a few more birds are seen.

MassWildlife Trout Hatchery

Lets feed the fish!










Feed them a few pellets at a time and watch them jump!






Or get someone in the back of the pickup to throw it in by the shovelful!






They sure get big! Manchaug Pond is not a stocked pond but brook trout do live in the unnamed tributaries of our watershed. Land worth preserving.



A beautiful ride out to Belchertown, especially this time of year!

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/fisheries/fisheries_home.htm

No Bites?

So no one wants to take a guess as to where yesterday's photo was taken?

72 visitors since the post - all shy!

or maybe not interested? or not into games?


Anyway, you know those are not gumballs!

Yesterday's Adventure

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a ride! Can you guess the destination? This photo is a clue!

Enjoy the Day!

The MPA continues to actively work to preserve our Manchaug Pond! Have YOU joined us?

Do so today!

Your Lake Needs You Next Saturday!

Did you have a good day today? Sure is beautiful around Manchaug Pond!


Next Saturday, plan to spend the morning at Manchaug Pond and have a better day giving back to the lake with people who care for this great natural resource. Join your MPA Board of Directors in giving time to your lake. You and your family and friends can join us as we clean the boat ramp and roadsides around Manchaug Pond of trash from the spring and summer season. We take pride in our lake and want others to do the same. Meet at the State Boat Ramp between 9 and noon. Bring your gloves - we'll provide the bags and the good company as we work together for the lake.

This Morning's Heavy Rains Filtered by 319 Grant Work

Heavy rains hit the area this morning bringing rivers of water down the roads and from the watershed hillsides into Manchaug Pond. Let's take a look at the completed site work made possible by the s.319 NonPoint Pollution Grant to filter all this stormwater:

On Manchaug Road in Sutton, the first site - a GABION WEIR.


Site 2 - LEACHING CATCH BASIN- complete with small boulders to keep people from parking in the area.


Site 3 built in the existing ditch - CHECK DAM WITH FILTRATION POOL.


Site 4 - CHECK DAM - breaking the flow in that same roadside ditch.


State Public Access Ramp: Site 5-1 - Grass Paver Infiltration System


Site 5-2 - Nutrient Filtration System


5-3 - Rain Garden Area before planting


5-4 - Catch Basin Upgrade


In Douglas on Oak Street, Site 6 & 7 - Gabion Dam with Filtration Purge Pool





This site work has been done to filter the stormwater of nutrients to improve your Manchaug Pond resource!

The project is funded by the EPA and MassDEP, spearheaded and administered by the Manchaug Pond Association, written with the help of engineers and environmental scientist at CEI, Inc, and matched with work performed cooperatively by MPA, and the Towns of Sutton and Douglas Highway Departments and Conservation Commissions.

Data was based on a watershed survey and water quality testing paid for by the Manchaug Pond Association and performed by CEI, Inc and Lycott Environmental Inc. for the MPA.

One more task to complete! We remain On Target, Below Budget and On Schedule!

Ramshorn Pond Preparing for Drawdown

Waters Farm Days - Tractor Pull Held!

Although Waters Farm Days Fall Festival was cancelled this weekend due to the heavy rains, the tractor pull was held this morning at 10 am.






Thanks to our MPA Board Member from Area 1 for the photos!

Yes, good weather for waterfowl!

Rain is dancing on the lake...


the flock of geese are cruising on the water and the seagulls are in the air.



But, with the rain, the Manchaug Pond Association exhibit will be at Waters Farm tomorrow (weather permitting!) to participate in the 30th annual Waters Farm Days Fall Festival. Since we have an outdoor location for our booth, weather is critical to its success and the health of volunteers! (I personally had the first shift and didn't want the end of my time with a cold to develop into pnemonia.)



Hope to see you after the weather clears!

Waters Farm Days Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 & 4

Today, October 2nd


Last year, October 13, 2008


See you this weekend at the 30th Annual Waters Farm Days Fall Festival! If the weather holds out, the Manchaug Pond Association will have it's educational exhibit over by the house at the overview to the lake. See you there!

http://www.watersfarm.com/

MPA Annual Meeting 2009: The Chowda Continued...

Well Capt'n Gray Beard,

I did speak with the Annual Meeting Chef, Capt'n Paul, and this is what he had to say:

"Wow, can't have pillaging and plundering, can we!"

He reports that he has yet to reveal, to anyone, "the exact method of cooking recipe."

HE WILL divulge that this special seafood "chowda" contains chopped clams, baby clams, shrimp, real crab, krab (faux crab), faux lobster, oysters, conch (if available), sea scallops, and white fish (can be haddock, cod, pollock, cusk, or striped bass) in it.
It also has chopped onion and minced garlic, non-alcoholic beer, clam broth, potatoes, fat free half and half, salt and pepper.

So, you'll just have to attend every annual Manchaug Pond Association meeting to get your fill! Don't bother doing any searches or questioning the dynamic MPA kitchen crew.... no photos of the chowder were taken and it was made off-site before the crew arrived.

Thanks for asking! See you at the next Annual Meeting.