By Cathleen Drinan
What a horrible year this has been! The West Monponsett Pond looks terrible and has been closed due to cyanobacteria counts since June 25 and since July 15 for the East Monponsett Pond.
At this point, the numbers for the West Pond are lower than the East Pond.
I still am not sure why this change in seeing this Aphanizomenon in such high numbers in the East Monponsett Pond.
In the past, the East Monponsett Pond closed only in the years when there was a summer time diversion to lower the water, that resulted in pulling the algae from west to east.
It is a concern that people still use the ponds.
We, at least, need our own signage at both boat ramps. The State boat ramp has so much signage, all in brown and white. I think we need to pursue permission from the state to place an educational sign about algae. Ideally, it would be an informational sign board, similar to 4th Ave and Holmes St.
On the Holmes St beach, the sign board is over to the left and, if you ever watched the very dangerous process of someone backing their boat onto that that barely visible ramp, right at that curve in the road, you will recall that they do not walk over and read about the pond before dong so.
I am working with Russ Kleekamp on the next SWMI grant. EPA is working on their WMOST model. The Division of Ecological Restoration is talking about stream gauges. Many, many people are working on this!
Please encourage people to join the Monponsett Watershed Association.
Thank you, George Zoto, for your reports and pictures!
Stay strong!
Cathy Drinan
More pond reporst next week