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Martins Pond Reclamation Committee Notes

December 10, 2003
North Reading Town Hall

MINUTES

Attendees:
Janet Nicosia, Co-Chairman
Lida Jenney, Co-Chairman
Missy Correlle
Paul Cameron
Chuck Hardesty
Paul Feroli
Ken Fothengill
Vince Sabella
Mike Scannell
Dr. Jonathan Lyon, Merrimack College Professor
Kathleen Legere, Merrimack College Student and Assistant to Dr. Lyon

AGENDA

WATER QUALITY:
Dr. Jonathan Lyon and his assistant, Kathleen Legere

Janet Nicosia introduced Dr. Jonathan Lyon and his assistant Kathleen Legere, both of Merrimack College. Dr. Lyon and his students have been monitoring the water quality of Martins Pond for about two years now and as Dr. Lyon has emphasized consistently, monitoring of this sort must be done over long periods of time or false assumptions could be made. He first became involved when grant money was obtained for studying the water quality of the pond and he will continue monitoring with or without grant money. After completing two years of studies he had some very impressive charts to present his findings. These findings are not complete however. Kathleen Legere is working on a "Land Use" project. This study, which has taken her back as far as 1985, studies topography, sloping, sub water sheds, soils, sediments, etc. in an effort to determine the impact of land use on water quality within a water shed.

Dr. Lyon's results are broken down into several areas which include turbidity (the clarity of the water), algae, phosphorous and fecal & coli form levels, to name the most obvious.

As for the water quality results, thus far, there is "good news and bad news" for the entire Ipswich River water shed. Previous monitoring had only included Martins Pond.

PHOSPHOROUS:

In 2002, after a year of monitoring, it was found that the phosphorous levels were one thousand (1,000) times higher in Martins Pond than in any other pond previously reported in Massachusetts. Also in 2002 it was discovered that phosphorous levels peaked at the inlet and outlet to Martins Pond and also at Central Street and Rte. 28. In 2003, it was found that it only peaked at the inlet and the outlet of Martins Pond. It also peaks after heavy rains. A lot of theories, but more studies are needed to actually decipher what those results mean. Does septic and fertilizer run-off, combined with the thick sediment add to phosphorous levels? One fact that has been established is that the phosphorous levels do not effect or are not effected by algae levels. It was earlier thought that there was a coincidence between phosphorous levels and algae blooms. It was also discovered that back in 1994, the phosphorous levels were normal, so why are they 1,000 times higher than any other recorded pond or lake? Failing septic systems, over use of fertilizer, thick, dense sediment? There isn't a definite answer yet.

FECAL/COLI FORM:

Surprisingly, fecal and coli form levels, within the entire water shed were at their lowest in Martins Pond. It is known that these levels spike during a heavy rain and then drop within 24 - 48 hours so failing septic systems had been suspected as the culprit but there is no solid proof of that. There is a test to determine exactly what the source of the fecal is; i.e. horse, dog, geese, human, cow, etc. but it is a very expensive test and has not been performed yet because of the cost.

TURBIDITY:

As mentioned, this is the clarity or lack of clarity, of a body of water. Of course, we know Martins Pond is not clear but this could be construed as a blessing because the turbidity prevents sunshine from filtering down through the water which keeps the vegetation from completely taking over the pond. If Martins Pond was clear, the milfoil would have taken over the entire pond by now. Because of this, the question of what to do to clean up the pond becomes problematic. With few or no exceptions, all methods available are expensive and also, with few or no exceptions, each method fixes one problem just to contribute to a different problem.

DREDGING:

Very expensive and EPA is against it. If you do dredge, removed sediment has to be tested. Is it hazardous? As dredging takes place, the body of water is sectioned off and a strong, nasty smell results, albeit temporary. It is also a long, drawn out procedure and during that time, as mentioned, there is a smell and recreational use is severely or completely limited.

SONAR:

Again, expensive but effective. It is non toxic and does not hurt fish nor inhibit recreational use by humans. It kills the milfoil and other vegetation but would add to the sediment problem as the plants die off.

RAKING:

This would be a good method if we only had lily pads and purple loosestrife. A Hydro-Rake tears the plants out by the roots and is highly effective, unless you have milfoil, which Martins Pond does. Raking tears the milfoil up and this is milfoil's method of reproducing, so raking actually accelerates the spread of milfoil. For milfoil only, Sonar treatments seem to be the most effective.

BEAVER SITUATION:
Chuck Hardesty & Paul Cameron

Chuck Hardesty offered a quick update on the beaver situation on the pond before rushing off to depart for his new residency in Boulder, Colorado. (Chuck has put in a lot of hours working for the pond and has done an excellent job for us. Best wishes to Chuck on his new job an life in Colorado. The pond committee will miss his input and valiant efforts). Beavers had plugged the culvert under the Rte. 62 bridge in Wilmington and as water was rising, there were several calls made to the Wilmington DPW to help remove the packed debris. The day before Thanksgiving, the Wilmington DPW did remove the debris and when Paul Cameron went back to check the water levels a few days later, levels had dropped 12 - 18" or more. Chuck suggests some type of screening be put in place to keep the culvert clear. Very little support has been given by the Town of NR on helping with the beaver situation and this is something Paul and Chuck have been working on. Town support is needed to help control the beavers and to breech the dams and unclog the debris created by the beavers. They applied for a special permit to breech the beaver dam at the end of Fieldcrest Road but due to pesky paperwork, will have to wait until after the next ConCom (Conservation Committee) meeting on Jan. 13th before final permission is given. They have also applied for a Beaver Deceiver but that is on hold until spring, as the plastic used in the deceiver is not pliable enough in the cold weather to allow for installation at this time. Volunteers are needed to help with the breaking apart of the dam when permission is finally given. Over the knee or hip boots will be needed. Let us know if your willing and able to work in the ice and cold to help breech the dam.

WATER LEVELS/FLOODING:

The Army Corp of Engineers will use a Hydro-Rake in the Ipswich River at the Martins Pond Bridge on Burroughs Road. They are only going to rake approximately 500 feet down the river and hopefully 10 - 20 feet across, as a part of a pilot program. They will study what is removed and the effectiveness of removal. The aim here is to widen the river by removing the monstorous Purple Loosestrife root balls and other vegetation, so as to open the river for water flow and perhaps, recreational use such as kayaking and canoeing as well. The report will be presented to the State Representatives who in turn will apply for an Environmental Bond to continue the raking and opening the river for water drainage in an effort to alleviate flooding. This pilot project is being paid for by the North Reading DPW.

Also being studied, is how large to make the culvert at Benevetto's. Benevetto has agreed to upgrade a culvert there for greater water flow but what size, pipes, the design, etc. must be determined.

And what to do about the Rte. 62 bridge in Wilmington. Wilmington has not been willing to replace the old bridge so North Reading paid to have the bridge rated and it failed. Hopefully, this will bring the situation to the State's attention and then, hopefully, the bridge will be replaced with a much larger culvert and/or a better system to prevent the clogging that occurs underneath the bridge that dams the water up in Martins Pond. At the present time, this is the number one problem when it come to flooding on Martins Pond. The culvert under the bridge becomes clogged and backs the water into the pond.

The flood boards located at the bridge are also a problem and meetings with Wilmington have been on going and continue to find a compromise that would benefit both NR (specifically the pond and Wilmington).

A Flood Emergency Program has been setup to coordinate activities between police, fire, schools, residences, etc., thanks to Janet Nicosia. This plan was sent out to everyone a while back, but if you would like to see it, contact Janet Nicosia.

SEWER:
Mike Scannell

This has been an ongoing process for about a year. The discussion, as of now, is on Treatment Plants and where to build them. Two suggestions: (1) the DPW yard and (2) the Berry site. The Berry site will not be available until the new owners begin building and that date has not been established. Right now, it does not seem to be in the near future. There is a need for a third location and that is a problem. The Hillview was one suggestion but Warren Pearse of the NR Community Planning Committee said the soil there was no good for this type of thing.

Two Phases to Sewer coming to NR:
(1) Commercial and (2) Residential

Commercial would be first priority because it would attract new businesses on Main Street and consequently, increase the town's revenue. Martins Pond should be the first residential area, due to the pond, but the high school area and Town Center are also being looked at.

Proposals will be presented to the NR Selectman, December 11th and then to the NR Businessman's Association. Mike feels confident that NR will get a sewer system in time. Perhaps 3 - 4 years.

April 2003- Lakes and Ponds Study
We are awaiting the final copy of the Lakes and Ponds study, which should be finished any day, and we will be using it to apply for another grant which must be submitted by May 1st with the help of Professor Jon Lyon of Merrimack. I'm hoping we can get it together in time. This grant will be for some work on identifying pollution and bacteria sources specifically upstream of Martins Pond, and working on weed reduction in the pond. This grant would not be awarded until May 2004, but we must plan ahead as the weeds continue to encroach upon the open waters. Right now we are gathering info.

US Army Corps of Engineers Flood Study
As promised, the US Army Corps of Engineers flood study of the Martins Pond area is now getting underway. The first meeting will be this week, and Chuck and Paul will serve as the main contacts on behalf of the Martins Pond Association. As you may know, Chuck and Paul have been working diligently on our flooding issues for over a year now, and know the swamps around the pond like the back of their hands. Thanks to Selectman Jim Muldoon for suggesting it, and Town Engineer Mike Soraghan for applying for it!

The USAC Community Flooding program is a highly skilled group of scientists and engineers who will study and determine the cause of the areas flooding, and give the Town a qualified list of solutions to help alleviate it. Their study carries a whole lot of clout, and may bring us money in the future by using it to apply for FEMA grants to make suggested changes.

Emergency Flooding Plan
We are also meeting with Fire Chief Ed O'Brien next week to iron out an Emergency Flooding plan. This will get the police, fire, schools, DPW, and utilities all on the same page during a flood regarding who will do what, at what stage.

Loosestrife-Bug Release
We are planning another bug release for the loosestrife this year, and will be looking for help some weekend in April.

Gauge Reading Team
We will also be setting up gauge reading team for once a week gauge readings to help us study flood effects and delay times. For more information, contact Lida Jenney or Janet Nicosia.

June 28 2002
Listed below are updates on various issues we are working on.

Lakes & Ponds Study
Work is underway on the Lakes & Ponds study which the Town of North Reading and Martins Pond Association was awarded this spring. Merrimack Professor Dr. Jonathan Lyon and his research students Stephanie and Mike, are conducting water testing every other week at 20 sites in and around the pond.

The water testing will help us determine the quality of the water in the pond, identify problems, and pinpoint solutions. Jonathan says that by the end of the summer we should have a good picture of what is going on.

Jon's students Stephanie and Mike have chosen Martins Pond as their Senior Project, and plan to map the aquatic plants in the pond, do a fish survey, study plants in the wetlands, and the bugs that eat them. Merrimack did a great presentation in April of their class findings so far, and we will have their posters at the 4th of July booth for viewing.

The partnering of the Town of North Reading DPW, Martins Pond Association, and Merrimack College has made our project stand out in the eyes of the State. This is exactly what the State wants to see, and supportive letters from Rich Tomczyk from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs/ Massachusetts Watershed Initiative have accompanied our grant applications.

The Study's scope has not been completely ironed out as of yet, but water levels and the blockage of the channel exiting the pond are two areas which Malcolm Pirnie Engineering will be studying to determine if cleaning of the channel and cooperation with Wilmington will help relieve our unpredictable water levels.

Environmental Bond $300K line item for Martins Pond/Martins Brook
State Senator Bruce Tarr added a $300K line item to the Environmental Bond Bill currently going through the state legislature to help pay for implementation of the recommendations of our Lakes & Ponds study. The line item went through the Senate intact, then moved on to the House of Representatives for review.

This all takes place in preparation for a formal vote on the entire Bill. I just heard today from State Representative Brad Jones, that he was able to keep the $300 line item on the House of Rep version of the bill as well, including the wording that it can be used for Martins Pond or Martins Brook. This is great news! We've made it through round one. I will let you know when the final vote takes place.

We are fully aware that many great studies are done, giving excellent recommendations to solve problems, only to sit on a shelf because there is no money to actually do the work recommended. We are determined not to have this happen with our study, and with the help of Sen. Bruce Tarr and Rep. Brad Jones, it won't!

US Army Corps of Engineers
The Town of North Reading applied for engineering assistance from the USAC this spring. We are awaiting an answer on whether they will agree to study our flooding and channel problem and do design and engineering work for a solution. We just heard that our project was given the second highest possible rating as far as being a good fit for the Corps. We hope to hear by the end of summer whether they will accept our project. It would be a great gain, since the Army Corps requires no matching funds from the Town, and we can us their study to apply for future grants.

Beavers
There is still some beaver activity around the pond, as is expected. The big beaver dam which was breached is not being rebuilt at this time which is good news. Several beavers have been spotted in the pond, and quite a few trees have been felled. If you care to protect a tree in your yard which is close to the water, get some metal mesh and wrap the base of the tree, from the ground, up about 3.5 feet per Mass Audubon. Many of us have seen dead beavers on the road. According to Mass Audubon, the mother beaver kicks out the 2 year olds when she has her new spring litter. These road kills are most likely the 2 year olds looking for their own place to call home. If you see any damming, please let me know.

Selectman and Mary Trudeau had agreed in February that a committee or task force should be set up to help streamline the process of dealing with the beavers. I do not believe this has been initiated, but am not sure.

Loosestrife Project
The Garucella beetles were successfully raised at Merrimack College and released into the wetlands south of the pond on Tuesday June 25th. Thanks to all of you helped out making the data quadrats a few weeks ago, it made the release a cinch. I was just contacted by our link to the State in this, Robin Reiner of the Assoc of Mass. Wetland Scientists that we may be recieving several thousand additional bugs next week to supplement our efforts. At 10 cents a bug if we were to purchase ourselves, this is great news.

Merrimack started with about 500 adult beetles, and raised several thousand more, which are munching on the Loosestrife as we speak. We will take pictures this year to compare with over the next few years to see how the project is working.

You will probably not see a reduction this year, as it takes about 2-3 seasons for the bugs to really multiply. Jonathan may be willing to raise them again next year for either more release, or more sites. We will be looking for folks every 6 months to go into the wetland and collect data.

Flooding
In July we are beginning two discussions concerning flooding:
I am meeting with the DPW and State flooding mitigation specialist to discuss getting other towns involved in a watershed based flooding procedure. Flooding in our area may be helped or hurt by the actions of other towns in our watershed. Similarly, we may help or hurt others by what we do. We are going to look at dam's, possible damming locations, possible reserve locations, etc. The Flood Mitigation specialists have done this all before in other watersheds, so we are looking forward to working with them to help out our situation to the satisfaction of those around us.

I am also meeting with our Fire Chief, and other emergency personnel to start work on a emergency flood action plan. I've told you about this before. Simply put, it is what do we do, and when; who needs help, who is in danger during floods, and an emergency power outage phone tree, so if we lose power, those with generators or any type of life support can be notified. Later on, I will be looking for neighborhood leaders to be responsible for the people in thier block or on their street. More later as we iron this out.

Flood Access
The word from the DPW is that the access onto Rt 125 will continue to be used in the event of flooding. They agreed that police should be on duty on 125 for safety and that only right hand turns on your way out should be allowed. Signs should be readied under the emergency plan above.

Bridge at 62
The bridge at 62 has been rated and North Readind DPW is working towards having the bridge replaced. This could be a long process, but at least is started. Since it is a State road, it hopefully will not require any Town funds. Not that the State is in great shape, but it is important to get your place in line.

Pine Forest
No word yet on a court date for Angelo Petrosino's appeal.

Fanwort
Missy Correlle has been working hard to identify and find solutions to our Fanwort problem. Fanwort is the feathery looking plant invading the pond from the North, moving South. We have some great brochures she got from the State regarding invasive species which will be available for free at 4th of July, and the Summer Festival. She is also looking into Milfoil, and whether we have it in the pond.

Park Stuff
Park & Recreation decided to go ahead with plans of funding $9,500 of our new park equipment to replace the green structure in the tot lot. We are 90% done with the plan with Brian, and it will a very colorful and cool addition to the park.

Sewer Committee
Mike Scannell is our rep on the sewer committee and he will be updating us and advocate pond area sewering.

Summer Festival
Volunteers as always are needed for the Summer Festival. Hours are 11-4. Call me at 664-1776 or email me at janet62@comcast.net if you can help out for any shift. Needed also is help 2 hours before, and 1-2 hours after for set up and clean up. Kids of middle school age and older are welcome to help out as well. Baked goods are wanted for sale as desserts. Remember, the money we raise helps support all our efforts.

Visit us on the web at martinspond.org for info about the MPA.

Thanks to Kath Geoffrion for maintaining our site.

Thanks to the DOZENS of you who help out with all our efforts. Every little bit counts, and is the reason for our success for almost 10 years now.

Sincerely,
Janet Nicosia
Martins Pond Association Co-Chair

Contact Janet Nicosia or Lida Jenney and let us know how you can help!