Just a quick update and correction to Sept. 22 article on Bare Hill Pond. We appreciate the press coverage and interest in our activities to protect the Bare Hill Pond watershed. The article notes that the purpose of the drawdown is to control “weeds” and that drawdowns are conducted annually. This is not completely accurate. Our primary objective is to control invasive species and phosphorous in the water column. Invasive species crowd out native habitat and pose a risk to native plant and animal species. Due to excessive growth, they also impair recreational use of the pond. Fortunately, they are a target species for drawdowns and native species are not. As a result of the drawdowns there has been a significant restoration of native lower-growing plants in the pond. Since initiating deep drawdowns, the level of phosphorous in the water column has declined by about 50 percent, bringing the pond below the endangerment level for eutrophication. Eutrophication is when plants and algae grow uncontrollably and then deplete oxygen levels when they die. The result can be algal blooms, large fish kills, and significant damage to the pond and its watershed. Our results have been applauded by state environmental officials by protecting and restoring our pond. It is just too simple to attribute drawdowns to “weed” control.
We engage a wetlands biologist to monitor our efforts and measure the results of each drawdown. A drawdown is proposed when phosphorous and/or invasive species are found to have increased or be at significant risk of increase. Because drawdowns are not always sufficiently effective due to the extent of a freeze, or there may be increased stormwater run off with phosphorous in a given year, we may do a drawdown annually. That said, it is not a plan to perform them annually.
I hope this clarifies our activities, and I encourage you to visit our webpage to learn more and review our annual watershed reports: www.harvard.ma.us/bare-hill-pond-watershed-management/pages/annual-other-reports.
Bruce A. Leicher, chairman
Bare Hill Pond Watershed Management CommitteeM
