Although 2015 was the year of the worst algae outbreak ever recorded, there were also many positive developments thanks to the stewards of the pond, the White Pond Advisory Committee and effective actions by the Town of Concord.
Here is a timeline of major events of 2015.
January
Here is a timeline of major events of 2015.
January
In response to community concerns, the Town Manager and the Select Board host the first White Pond Forum on January 21, attended by over 120 people. It is clear from this forum that the Concord residents consider White Pond a high priority for the town to create a comprehensive management plan to ensure the preservation of this fragile ecosystem.
February
February
A record-breaking snowfall and lower temperatures meant fewer fishermen, skaters, skiers and snowshoers were able to enjoy their usual winter activities.
March
March
The White Pond Advisory Committee submits its Vision Statement, A Shared Future: A Comprehensive Vision for White Pond, Its Watershed and Its Neighborhoods to the Town of Concord recommending high priority items such as erosion control, establishment of a no swimming policy from town owned lands as well as seasonal parking bans, conversion of reservation land to conservation land and implementation of a water quality monitoring program. Recommendations include cooperating with the White Pond Associates who own the private swimming area to offer access to Concord residents who do not have season passes thereby eliminating the need to establish a public beach at Sachem's Cove. This would allow all Concord residents access to the pond. This plan, like other WPAC Plans of 2002 and 2006 emphasizes the need for managing visitors to the pond so that they do not cause any further erosion or degradation of the eco-system.
April
April
The Environmental Firm, ESS, hired by the Town of Concord submits its final report on White Pond, White Pond Watershed Management Plan. The plan focuses on water quality and erosion control. It warns that "no action" is not an option. It estimates thousands of people will visit Sachem's Cove once the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is built.
May
The Select Board of Concord votes to ask the Town Manager to implement a 2015-16 strategy for the pond which includes the following:
* requires all dogs to be on leash at all times
* visitors to stay on marked trails
* prohibits swimming from all town owned land
* develop appropriate enforcement mechanisms
* implement the recommendations of the ESS Study
* begin bank stabilization, erosion control and signage
The Town Manager allocates $25,000 to implement this strategy.
June
* requires all dogs to be on leash at all times
* visitors to stay on marked trails
* prohibits swimming from all town owned land
* develop appropriate enforcement mechanisms
* implement the recommendations of the ESS Study
* begin bank stabilization, erosion control and signage
The Town Manager allocates $25,000 to implement this strategy.
June
The Town of Concord posts signs around the White Pond area advising people of their new policies voted on at their May 4 meeting. These new policies represent another positive development for the preservation of the pond.
Under the supervision of Delia Kaye, The Division of Natural Resources and volunteers install temporary erosion controls on several of the six major erosion areas located on town land around Sachem's Cove.
The Town of Concord hires rangers who are supervised by the Division of Natural Resources and the Concord Police to enforce the new regulations. The rangers inform visitors, pick up trash, maintain erosion controls, install a temporary fence to re-route foot traffic and benefit Concord residents and the pond through their thoughtful and caring actions.
The Concord Police Department continues its regular patrolling of White Pond and the surrounding neighborhoods.
July
Under the supervision of Delia Kaye, The Division of Natural Resources and volunteers install temporary erosion controls on several of the six major erosion areas located on town land around Sachem's Cove.
The Town of Concord hires rangers who are supervised by the Division of Natural Resources and the Concord Police to enforce the new regulations. The rangers inform visitors, pick up trash, maintain erosion controls, install a temporary fence to re-route foot traffic and benefit Concord residents and the pond through their thoughtful and caring actions.
The Concord Police Department continues its regular patrolling of White Pond and the surrounding neighborhoods.
July
2016 is the warmest year on record as global warming combined with human activity and years of neglect contributes to a toxic algae outbreak forcing the Health Department to close the pond to all swimmers. This closure affects over 700 families who belong to the White Pond Associates Beach, hundreds of residents who live in the White Pond neighborhoods and many other Concord residents who use the pond for boating and fishing.
Toxic blue-green algae outbreaks are becoming common across the globe as temperatures rise. Higher water temperatures combined with storm run-off (which contains phosphorous and nitrogen) from the erosion sites feed the algae common in all ponds and causes it to "bloom". The bloom releases toxic substances harmful to humans and animals.
August
Toxic blue-green algae outbreaks are becoming common across the globe as temperatures rise. Higher water temperatures combined with storm run-off (which contains phosphorous and nitrogen) from the erosion sites feed the algae common in all ponds and causes it to "bloom". The bloom releases toxic substances harmful to humans and animals.
August
The pond is open for three days and then closed again due to another toxic algae outbreak. The State of Massachusetts continues its weekly water testing program in cooperation withe the Concord Board of Health.
For the first time in history, the pond is unavailable to Concord residents who have enjoyed many summer days swimming. We continue to face our silent summer as the toxic algae plagues the waters.
The question is how can we prevent further toxic algae blooms and ensure that White Pond remains a swimmable pond for many more years. The responsibility for the pond is shared by many different people and agencies. The state owns the pond and the access road near the White Pond Associates beach. The town of Concord is the largest land owner (over 40 acres) and several town departments and committees have a responsibility to the pond (including the Board of Health, the Department of Natural Resources, the Town Planner, the Select Board, the White Pond Advisory Committee, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Committee, the Trails Committee), White Pond Associates and all the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods and watershed. It becomes clear that meetings including all the stakeholders are essential to care for this fragile ecosystem. The pond currently has no formal lake management association.
September
For the first time in history, the pond is unavailable to Concord residents who have enjoyed many summer days swimming. We continue to face our silent summer as the toxic algae plagues the waters.
The question is how can we prevent further toxic algae blooms and ensure that White Pond remains a swimmable pond for many more years. The responsibility for the pond is shared by many different people and agencies. The state owns the pond and the access road near the White Pond Associates beach. The town of Concord is the largest land owner (over 40 acres) and several town departments and committees have a responsibility to the pond (including the Board of Health, the Department of Natural Resources, the Town Planner, the Select Board, the White Pond Advisory Committee, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Committee, the Trails Committee), White Pond Associates and all the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods and watershed. It becomes clear that meetings including all the stakeholders are essential to care for this fragile ecosystem. The pond currently has no formal lake management association.
September
White Pond is featured on Channel Five's Chronicle Show, What's Not to Like? depicting life living on a pond. Concord resident, Jim Ricker who has lived on the pond for decades is interviewed. His concern, like all residents, is that White Pond be preserved. Robert and Christine Gerzon are also interviewed and discuss the important role that the pond plays in the life of Concord.
The Board of Health re-opens pond as the latest tests show a dramatic decrease in cyanobateria.
October
The Board of Health re-opens pond as the latest tests show a dramatic decrease in cyanobateria.
October
At a Select Board meeting, Delia Kaye, Director of Natural Resources, recommends the hiring of rangers for next summer to continue enforcing town policies. The consulting firm ESS reports they found a significantly higher level of phosphorous than in 2013 and that there are more nutrients in the deep water and along the shoreline than they expected. They recommend regular testing of the water quality to monitor and collect data.
Mr. Whelan, Town Manager, reports that the State Fish and Game Department met with the Town and expressed an interest in rebuilding the boat launch and passing the maintenance responsibility to the Town. The boat launch and access road is a major contributor of storm run-off into the pond.
Jerry Frenkil, the Chair of the White Pond Advisory Committee reminds the Board that the toxic algae bloom is a symptom of larger issues that have threatened the pond for a long time and he recommends continuing a holistic approach based on the White Pond Advisory Committee Vision Report.
November
Mr. Whelan, Town Manager, reports that the State Fish and Game Department met with the Town and expressed an interest in rebuilding the boat launch and passing the maintenance responsibility to the Town. The boat launch and access road is a major contributor of storm run-off into the pond.
Jerry Frenkil, the Chair of the White Pond Advisory Committee reminds the Board that the toxic algae bloom is a symptom of larger issues that have threatened the pond for a long time and he recommends continuing a holistic approach based on the White Pond Advisory Committee Vision Report.
November
The Division of Natural Resources releases the report written by their summer rangers. This summer was not a typical summer due to the pond closure so the number of visitors was greatly reduced.
This report indicates that even with the pond being closed most of the summer for swimming, the number of weekly visitors in the beginning of the summer before the algae bloom was 400 people. By the end of the summer that number had decreased to 100. About 40% of these visitors are from out of town indicating that Sachem's Cove is a swimming destination for many people in the Greater Boston area. This figure is much higher when the pond is open to swimmers.
Dr. William Walker, Concord resident and environmental engineer who has been monitoring the water quality since 1987, releases his report on White Pond water quality showing that the quality has steadily declined over the past 10 years.
White Pond resident Henry Patterson reports that a group of property owners on the north side of White Pond improved their unpaved private streets, strategically changing their contour to reduce storm water runoff to the pond. 100% of the residents of Seymour and Tracy Streets were involved and financed this project entirely. Their actions benefit all of us as well as the pond.
December
This report indicates that even with the pond being closed most of the summer for swimming, the number of weekly visitors in the beginning of the summer before the algae bloom was 400 people. By the end of the summer that number had decreased to 100. About 40% of these visitors are from out of town indicating that Sachem's Cove is a swimming destination for many people in the Greater Boston area. This figure is much higher when the pond is open to swimmers.
Dr. William Walker, Concord resident and environmental engineer who has been monitoring the water quality since 1987, releases his report on White Pond water quality showing that the quality has steadily declined over the past 10 years.
White Pond resident Henry Patterson reports that a group of property owners on the north side of White Pond improved their unpaved private streets, strategically changing their contour to reduce storm water runoff to the pond. 100% of the residents of Seymour and Tracy Streets were involved and financed this project entirely. Their actions benefit all of us as well as the pond.
December
The Community Preservation Committee announces that they will recommend to the 2016 Annual Town Meeting the funding of the White Pond Restoration Project which includes $166,000 to implement work to complete the design, planning, and installation of new erosion controls on the Town land surrounding Sachem’s Cove and at the State owned public boat launch. A sampling program also will be conducted to identify additional sources of pollution.
The Director of Land Planning, Marcia Rasmussen, meets with the Select Board of Concord to review a letter to MassDOT (Department of Transportation) urging that the Powder Mill Road tunnel and environmental improvements south of Powder Mill Road be included in the Phase 2C construction package of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. This letter was approved by the Select Board and these improvements will ensure barriers to protect White Pond from further erosion and damage by bike and foot traffic near the pond.
We end the year knowing that the Town of Concord is committed to preserving the pond and together we will do all we can to ensure that we take care of this unique natural resource.
While we cannot control the rise in the temperature of the water, we can continue to work to manage human activity around the pond to mitigate the likelihood of future algae outbreaks.
The Director of Land Planning, Marcia Rasmussen, meets with the Select Board of Concord to review a letter to MassDOT (Department of Transportation) urging that the Powder Mill Road tunnel and environmental improvements south of Powder Mill Road be included in the Phase 2C construction package of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. This letter was approved by the Select Board and these improvements will ensure barriers to protect White Pond from further erosion and damage by bike and foot traffic near the pond.
We end the year knowing that the Town of Concord is committed to preserving the pond and together we will do all we can to ensure that we take care of this unique natural resource.
While we cannot control the rise in the temperature of the water, we can continue to work to manage human activity around the pond to mitigate the likelihood of future algae outbreaks.
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