Dam Repairs Still Being Planned

Here's a view of how the lake and the dam looked today.











Two boards are out of the spillway and the gate is open a bit as mandated by the State as part of their order to Guilford - concern was the hurricane season and the inability to control the gate and get enough water out in a short period of time.

The MPA President was on the phone quite a bit this week to find out the latest details from all parties involved... Right now - The State has granted Guilford's request to keep the waterlevel up until Labor Day so that we can enjoy the season. (Thank you!) After Labor Day watch the lake waterlevel closely. You may need to take your boats out soon. Guilford has had their engineers out to look at the dam this week, monitoring the situation, calculating the flow and time needed to bring down the lake and waiting for government approval and instructions. The State and the Town of Sutton's Conservation Commission will actually decide the details as to how aggressively (how low and how fast) the water will be taken down, and when that will happen. Guilford is sensitive to the needs and use of the lake by us residents and has asked the government agencies for rulings which best address our concerns to keep the waterlevel as high as possible in the main part of the lake and let the lake fill to normal as soon as possible after repairs are made. Repairs are only expected to take about a week.

Check in here for the latest! I'll let you know when word comes to hitch the boat trailer!

MPA Annual Meeting-Always informative and friendly

Who brought their camera?! I forgot :( Email pictures if you did!

Well, for those of you who didn't venture out today to the Annual Meeting - you missed a lot!
Info, info, info!
Offee and great pastries!
And the great lake friends I only get to see once a year!

Also about the new location ... a number of members complained that Camp Blanchard was too small, too hard to get to on foot for the older members, and too much work to clean. So we decided to try a new location ... the Blackstone National Grill at the golf course was booked through September; someone on the board said St. Anne's church hall would be too hot without air conditioning if the weather was warm; someone else suggested Singletary Rod and Gun but there is a bar there and doesn't it sound like that other lake association in Sutton should meet there?! ... so one of our board members arrranged the Whitinsville Fish & Game's pavillion. Under a great roof, plenty of tables, clean, near a trout stocked pond, plenty of parking, and free too BUT having lived my almost 50 years of life in Sutton, the place my grandmother from Webster Square called "Journey's End", I never would have thought it could take an hour to get to Douglas! and that a right turn could mean a left turn and where numerous gun shots highlight the President report! Did anyone not get lost?? Tell us the details if you did! I think we will be back next year at the Y. Did anyone miss the brownies?

Seriously, it was a good meeting and obvious that this organization is PROACTIVE and on top of EVERY issue of concern to its members. This week I will report on the information brought to the over 50 people attending.

Tomorrow's topic - the upcoming dam repairs and the soon to be LOW water level. Stay tuned!

Annual Meeting - Rain or Shine!

Rain or shine tomorrow's MPA Annual Meeting is happening! This year we are trying a morning meeting over coffee and soda, donuts, muffin and bagels at the Whitinsville Fish & Game in Douglas. There is a large pavilion to accomodate us as well as a large indoor hall if needed. This year's site also offers easy access, cleaner more modern restrooms, and a larger space to accomodate the entire membership!

Give it a try! Take a ride out tomorrow! I'll see you there!

There are a number of ways to get to the facility but our President found this one well marked with great signs and the roads easier to follow: Starting at the Citgo Extra Mart in Douglas follow Route 16 east for 2.9 miles. Turn right onto West Street and go 1.7 miles.Turn right onto Martin Road and go .4 miles turning left on to White Court which is the driveway of the Whitinsville Fish & Game. :))

Weekday Calm!

A photo NOT taken on the weekend!

Water Level To Be Taken Down Another 6 Inches

If you are wondering why the water is running out of the spillway let me tell you. I heard from Guilford Thursday night and he asked me to pass on this information....

Fuddy has been notified by the Guilford office in Maine that the state of Massachusetts has required that the lake be brought down an additional 6 inches and is sending a dam inspector tomorrow, Friday morning, to observe as Fuddy takes out the boards from the spillway. (We are currently down 6 inches below full.) Fuddy says this is an "emergency act" - a precaution- as the gate is broken/jammed closed and heavy rains are expected Sunday. This will take us down an additional 6 inches bringing the total to 12 inches down from full.

We had a good level all summer and really can't complain can we! Remember with the broken gate they could of drained us a month ago!

I know the downstream residents of Steven's Pond will welcome more water!

Have a good weekend!

Annual Meeting - Mark Your Calendar!

With August coming to a close it is time for the MPA Annual Meeting! Mark your calendar and plan to attend.

Saturday, August 26th
10:00 to noon
Whitinsville Fish and Game in Douglas
White Ct. Douglas

Agenda items will include: the dam, the non point source pollution grant, election of officers and directors, and anything you want to talk about!

Coffee, donuts, muffins and bagels are on the menu for this morning meeting.

This new location offers a beautiful pavillion with picnic tables, lawn area overlooking a pond as well as indoor facilities if it rains. Easy access for young and old. Room for the entire membership plus! I'll see you there!

For direction click the title of this post. You can take either Depot St off of the Main St. in Douglas or head west a bit and take Franklin St to White Court. Check the link for the Yahoo Map for best directions.

A Little Story.... Boat Repairs

What do you do when you need to put a new propellor on your boat?

Take the old one off right?! Well, it is not always that easy or that cheap.

We heard a story about a man who came into Consumer Auto Parts for a torque wrench. Seems he is a bass fisherman who was charged $118 by a local garage to put on the new propellor. Next time he will be able to do the job himself for a lot le$$ as he bought a beauty of a wrench with a nice case for only $78.

Boating Safety

Kids, adults who need a refresher!! take the online exam to earn your Boating Certificate.

One of our members pointed out that I shouldn't have left out the obvious boating rules.... boats on the lake at night need lights and tubing and waterskiing is out of the question after dusk until sunrise. Also NO tubing or skiing through the channel.

Common sense helps a lot on the water!

Try the link! http://www.boaterexam.com/usa/massachusetts/

Boating Safety Laws

A few water-related fatalities have hit the news lately so I thought a quick review of some boating basics is in order.

1. Life jackets are required by ALL jet-skiers, ALL water-skiers, ALL tubers, ALL canoer and kayakers from Sept 15 to May 15th, and ALL children younger than 12 years old. No exceptions.

2. Life jackets must be in good condition (no rips or dry rot!), readily accessible if not on you (stowed in the seat is not accessible!), and one for each person onboard. Also check proper size and weight limits.

3. No open containers of alchohol on Manchaug Pond. No drinking ...it is the law.

4. Don't forget a ladder os required for water-skiers, tubers, and swimmers.

5. Registration and numbers for all boats with a motor.

6. Fire extinguisher for those motorboarts over 26 feet with an outboard motor or all inboards.

7. ALL motorboats need an anchor, bailer, and a line. If under 16 feet, a paddle or oar is required.

8. To operate a jet-ski you must be 18 or older. 16 and 17 year olds may complete a Safety Education training and then may operate with this certificate.

9. To operate a motor boat you must be at least 16 years old, or 12 years old with an adult 18 or over on board supervising. Children 12 -15 years old may obtain a Safety Education Certificate to obtain alone

10. Horn or whistle or bell for all boats.

11. Speeds of more than 45 mph are considered excessive. Within 150 feet of a skier, swimmer, marina, or a dock must operate less than 6 mph. Do not operate within 150 feet of a swim beach.

Have a great weekend! Click the title for a link to more info.

Water Level an AMAZING 6 Inches Down From Full!

The report is in... we're only 6" below full! Fuddy calls it "amazing" to remain this constant. He says we were 8" below, but we are up with that last rain and some run-off from the watershed. Of course the gate remains closed with nothing going out except through the crack between the spillway boards. With this heat, we usually get evaporation taking us down, but not yet.

For those of us new to all this, you might ask ... What does Fuddy mean by the term "below full"? Well, Manchaug Pond is considered "full" when the water level is to the top of the spillway boards. If 6" of the board is showing, then we are 6" below full. Simple as that.

Kayak Invasion!

I received a call from Area 5 at 6:30 tonight... "Did you get a picture of that! A kayak invasion of Manchaug Pond!!"

Later down at the shore, this is what I saw coming around the point from Area 5...


...thirty plus kayaks and canoes.

An hour or so later, another group went by. It wasn't an invasion. It was the RI Kayak Association and the Blackstone Valley Paddlers Club who set out on the waters of Manchaug Pond from the state boat ramp for the evening.

MPA Submits s.319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Grant: Manchaug Pond NPS Improvement Project

The Manchaug Pond Nonpoint Source Improvement Project was resubmitted last month in an effort by the MPA to secure state monies to address weed-causing nutrients, bacteria and sediment getting into the lake from the watershed.
Our proposal was one of 16 grant requests received by the State asking for a piece of the $2 million they expect to be available. The MPA is asking for $129,250 - requests this year ranged from $77,768 to $300,000. Last year the requests were lopsided with one heavy hitter asking for $1 million which threw the rest of us out. So providing we get the grant - which we are told looks good! - there is a matching component where the Town of Sutton will provide labor, etc to install a number of storm drains, catch basins, etc and the MPA will provide volunteer hours getting educational information out on animal manure best management practices, septic systems, fertilizers, unpaved roads, and the like to those using the lake and in the watershed.

I'll let you know when we hear!

Board Meeting Last Night

So what were you doing yesterday evening? The MPA Board of Directors held a meeting in Area 5.
Topics on the agenda?
1. the pending sale of the dam
2. forming a watershed district
3. the water level and the broken dam gate
4. the s. 319 Non-point Pollution Grant
5. the annual meeting of the members
6. Sutton's Lake Patrol Program
7. Nomination/election of a new board

A new member came to the board meeting, his Area Representative recommended him as an Area Rep. for Area 4. Elections will be held at the annual meeting.

What to get involved?

Sutton Police Renew Committment to Lake Patrols

Tuesday's Telegram reports the Sutton Police Department is planning to step up their Lake Patrol program on Manchaug, Singletary and Ramshorn Ponds. Two recent lake deaths, one on Quinsig and the other on Stoneville Pond in Auburn, have the police looking to prevent such fatalities on the town's lakes. In recent years, sightings of the police boat have been rare! It was actually the lake associations of the three ponds which years ago asked police to patrol the ponds as the number of boats made the lakes dangerous. The MPA worked with the chief and officers to secure a boat, equipment and funding for officer hours. The MPA also donated $$$$ to get the program started.

Today, the Sutton Police want you follow the boating laws and be ready as they routinely perform safety inspections on the boats they meet. Remember that you need a life jacket (accessable - not stowed away!) for each person, a fire extinguisher and horn, and a ladder if you are swimming, tubing or skiing. Sutton also has an open container bylaw which means no drinking on the lake! They will enforce no matter if you are on the Douglas or Sutton side.

If you see a problem on the lake you wish to report, call the Sutton police at 508-865-4449.

Thanks to an MPA member in Area 5 for the great photo!

Weekend Off.

"There will be no crisis this week... my schedule is full.""

Saw this sign at Yankee Candle, Deerfield, Massachusetts today.

The Dam - "What's Going On?!" Update 5

Fuddy, the caretaker of the dam, just called. The dam gate is shut tight with no water going through. We were losing an inch a day, down 8-9". How did they stop the leak you ask? Well, they tried more sandbags and fabric as I reported earlier today (see previous post!) to block the holes but that didn't work. What did? They took a 12 foot pipe and banged in into place over the broken gate which knocked the gate into a closed position. No flow!

Now Fuddy will control with the boards and the dam owner will deal with it in the fall.

Well done!

The Dam - "What's Going On?!" Update 4

Guilford has called in R.H. White and the divers once again! First thing this morning the teams arrived at the dam to work on reducing the flow. I took these photos less than a half hour ago. I didn't want to get too bold and pesty with the camera so there are no close ups. Seems every third person traveling by stops to ask "What's Going On?!" and "Is it repairable?"

A diver is placing more sandbags and a special fabric around the gate - he was up to sixty bags when we got there but then R.H. White pulled in with more sandbags and a new roll of fabric.

He's hoping less water is flowing and so are we!

Thanks to Guilford for keeping on top of this.

We're Not the Only Ones With Trouble!

I know the waterlevel is going down. Tell your neighbors who don't have internet and read the blog what is going on. I'm working on a newsletter to inform the entire membership. But it looks like we're not the only ones with troubles... yesterday's Telegram reports a lock on the Erie Canal in New York is hung up due to heavy rains which prevented the sloop from the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest" from sailing through. Also, I am relieved we don't have a tunnel to share Boston's woes and we have an open container law in Sutton and hopefully residents and lake users with common sense to prevent headlines like Lake Quinsig. Reading the morning paper is not the way to start the day on an upbeat note!

I'll let you know on any development on the dam, but in the meantime we will turn to other topics from the submitted Non-point source pollution grant to daily life on the lake. Have a great day!

The Dam - "What's Going On?!" Update 3

Yesterday our MPA President spoke with Fuddy's boss - Guilford's plant engineer... it is clear the dam remains a priority and serious business with Guilford even though the operation has relocated to North Carolina and in light of this new development with the broken gate. The concern at present is the amount of water flowing out (too much) and the upcoming hurricane season and inability to control the water flow on a daily basis. Without the gate, the water will be controlled buy removing or inserting boards from the spillway. The boards do allow for lowering and raising but just not the daily fine tuning we are used to. Also the gate cannot be fixed until the lake level is drawn down. Divers inspecting the gate and taking measurements last week noted the incredible force of the water in this area making underwater repairs impossible.



I'll keep you posted!

The Dam - "What's Going On?!" Update 2

Fuddy, Guilford's caretaker, called last night to report the sandbags at the dam gate held us at 5" under full over the weekend.( FYI: Whitins Reservoir, the other dam Fuddy watches, lost 1" through evaporation.) After today's reading, if there is a loss of water, Guilford may decided to put additional sandbags to stop the flow further. Fuddy will keep us posted.

Stay tuned!