I have lived in Harvard my entire life and have used Bare Hill Pond for 75 years.
I’m the guy who put the new septic system in for the town of Harvard at the beach. I’m the guy who put in the septic system for 16 houses on Clinton Shore Drive that helps keep the pond clean. And I’m the guy who pulled the permit to put in the pump house.
I thought the pump house was a good idea. But I also thought it would be used responsibly.
When we go through the fall and everyone says we’re in a drought, and the Smokey Bear sign going out of town says the risk of fire is high, why would the Bare Hill Pond Watershed Management Committee think it’s a good idea to do a deep water drawdown of our pond and aquifer?
Put aside for a moment their 25 years of extensive record keeping and just look around town.
Last winter we had a good snowfall season. The reservoir up on Bolton Road is full of water. The fishing pond going into Still River is full of water. The lily pond up on Oak Hill Road is full of water. But somehow, Bare Hill Pond is about 2 feet lower than normal.
That’s a lot of water. How did this happen?
It’s hard for me to believe we’re even having this debate. How could taking that much water out of the pond not affect the wildlife that depends on it? Maybe that’s why I had seven beavers living under my dock last winter. Bowers Brook, from Bare Hill Pond to Golden Pond, is as dry as I have ever seen it.
I don’t use the pond as much as I used to, but I have grandchildren now. I would like Bare Hill Pond to be protected for them and future generations.
Before we do another deep drawdown during a drought, we ought to be sure we’re not taking out more water than the pond can recover from. To me, that’s only common sense.
Dana Fairbanks
Wilroy Avenue
