this time with the latest in paving material: pervious or permeable pavers or porous pavement. 
The idea of the pavers is to capture runoff allowing it to filter into the ground before it gets to the lake. This keeps pollutants such as gas and oil drips from vehicles as well as the salts from road sand and other pollutants from flowing directly into the lake.
The water flowing into the ground also recharges groundwater supplies which are important to maintaining our drinking watersupplies/private wells and water levels of the lakes and tributaries. Filtering the water directly improves water quality and reduces or eliminates weed beds in the lake and around the shoreline.
So this porous pavement allows the rain and water flowing down the ramp from the parking area to hit this area and flow water through it!
How is this new technology possible? Partnerships: Federal monies from EPA and the Clean Water Act, state administered through MassDEP's s.319 NonPoint Source Pollution Grant Program, with local partnerships with the lake association securing and administering the grant and providing volunteer time and resources and the Towns of Sutton and Douglas providing the actual work with existing manpower and equipment. Manchaug Pond Association put in the initial money for water quality testing and weed surveys with Lycott Environmental and then enlisting the help and expertise of engineers and environmental scientist at CEI. The towns, CEI and MPA are reimbursed for materials and other expenses. 
The project also includes a rain garden, updated catch basins, plunge pools and other filtering systems at the state boat ramp and 6 other locations bordering the lake on Manchaug Road, Sutton and Oak Street, Douglas.
It is nice to see so much progress to preserve our lake! Thank you MPA. I know it took many meetings with the State Grant but to see all the planning finally nearing completion is a beautiful and positive thing. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome and thank you for your comment. The grant will greatly help improve water quality and limit the growth of weeds in those areas.
ReplyDeleteThe MPA has been working to the benefit of our lake and its use for over 40 years and we are going to continue to do so. Keep up the support and your involvement, too. We are not going anywhere!