The
Nashawannuck Pond Watershed Restoration Project
Easthampton,
Massachusetts
The
Nashawannuck Pond is a primary landmark of downtown Easthampton. It was created
in 1846 by Samuel Williston to provide water power to an expanding base of
manufacturing facilities. In 1985 the community purchased this body of water
from the J.P. Stevens Company. In an effort to enlist public and private support
for the protection and restoration of this valuable resource, the Board of
Selectmen instituted the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee. A comprehensive
study of the pond was performed in the late 1980's with a management plan
published and presented to the community. This web page will serve to examine
the findings of that committee, and the progress toward accomplishing their
charge, which is "to promote the cleanup and preservation of Nashawannuck
Pond, and to recommend policies and direction to the town of Easthampton concerning
these issues".
Old
Postcard Depicting The Nashawannuck Pond At Night
(Courtesy of John Watling)
In
this postcard picture, you can see the trolley car rails in the foreground.
In the background, is our beautiful Mount Tom with the Summit House clearly
visible, shining white on the mountain top. There were two summit houses atop
the mountain, the first of which opened in 1897 and was reached by trolley
car. It was destroyed by fire in 1900. A second Summit House was built, and
opened in 1901. Overlooking Easthampton, it stood for 28 years until it was
also destroyed by fire. Travelers going down Route 91 or the Massachusetts
Turnpike today, can now view an array of broadcast antennas atop the summit.
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Background
Nashawannuck
Pond is a 32-acre Y-shaped pond located in the center of Easthampton. The
pond's watershed, that is, the land area that drains into the pond, is approximately
10 square miles. This watershed extends from Mount Tom in the Holyoke Range
to White Loaf Mountain and the Pequot Ponds, and includes the Massachusetts
communities of Easthampton, Holyoke, and Southampton.
Three tributaries
flow into Nashawannuck Pond: Broad Brook, Wilton Brook, and White Brook. The
pond was created in 1846 when these feeder streams were dammed to create hydropower
for thevarious mills in Easthampton. Today, the pond is primarily a recreational
resource, used for fishing,boating, and bird-watching. Once a popular swimming
area, sediment loading and excess aquatic vegetation growth has made swimming
impossible and boating difficult during the summer. In 1985, the town purchased
the pond from the JP Stevens Company to protect and restore it.
The primary threat to the health of Nashawannuck Pond is nonpoint source pollution,
such as excess fertilizers and sediments, flowing from the surrounding watershed.
The City of Easthampton and organizations such as the Nashawannuck Pond Steering
Committee, and Nashawannuck Pond Restoration Project Advisory Committee have
been working together to restore the health andrecreational potential of Nashawannuck
Pond.
Surface
Watershed Area: Water Body Area
The ratio
of the watershed size to the size of the water resource is important in determining
the management and restoration options. The higher the ratio of watershed
size to pond size, the more important watershed activities are to the health
of the pond. For example, a 10 to 1 ratio would indicate that in-lake-only
management techniques would have a limited effect on water quality. Nashawannuck
Pond's watershed is approximately 10 square miles and the pond is roughly
31 acres. Nashawannuck Pond's watershed-to-pond area is 211 to 1. This means
that the residents in the watershed area, and the decisions they make every
day, affect the health of this pond. (Click here
for a larger map of the watershed area).
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Threats
to the Pond
The major
threat to the water quality and health of Nashawannuck Pond is something called
"nonpoint source pollution" (NPS). This means that, as a result
of rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground, the runoff picks
up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants. This runoff is deposited
into wetlands, streams, underground sources of water, and ultimately, the
pond. (Click here for illustration) Some
of these pollutants include:
Nutrients
Nutrients are essential for the growth of organisms such as plants, but when
more nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorous fertilizers than plants can absorb
are applied, the excess is carried away by rain and stormwater. Eventually,
this excess ends up being deposited in the pond. Once in the pond, these fertilizers
stimulate the growth of aquatic vegetation. Too many plants or weeds harm the
pond and the species that inhabit it in several ways:
Herbicides and Pesticides
Unless they are applied
very carefully, herbicides and pesticides are carried from lawns and gardens
and deposited in the pond. As the herbicides and pesticides flow overland and
eventually reach the pond, they may destroy beneficial plants and insects. The
result is decreased species diversity and an imbalance in the species composition
within the pond and the surrounding watershed.
Stormwater Runoff
As rain falls on the earth,
some of it is absorbed by plants or permeates the soil. Rain that is not absorbed
when it reaches the earth is called stormwater runoff. As it flows across the
land from gardens, sidewalks, lawns, driveways, etc., it carries soil and pollutants
- fertilizers, herbicides, chemicals such as oil and gasoline, and animal waste.
Less vegetation and more
impervious surface (such as driveways and roads) means less rainwater is soaking
into the ground. Instead, it flows overland with greater speed, eroding the
soil and picking up more sediment and other pollutants - all of which end up
in the Nashawannuck Pond.
Sediment, or soil particles
that are carried by stormwater runoff and deposited in water bodies, is a product
of erosion. Sediment may carry additional pollutants, like fertilizers and other
chemical compounds, to the water resource. Nashawannuck Pond receives a tremendous
amount of sediment from the surrounding watershed.
Sediment loading
has decreased the size and depth of the pond by 20 acres over the last 150 years!
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Best
Management Practices
Use Fertilizers
Sparingly
Fertilizers
contain nitrates and phosphates that stimulate the growth of aquatic vegetation,
and also cause algae blooms that can lead to fish kills. If possible, do not
fertilize your lawn with such products.
-
Try
mulching or other organic gardening methods to get the desired results.
If you must use a fertilizer, choose one that does not contain phosphorous.
-
Avoid
applying fertilizers during the summer. Turf grass demand for nutrients
is low at this time and unused fertilizer is more likely to end up in
the pond.
-
Avoid
over-application of fertilizers. Have your soil tested to determine
what additional nutrients are needed.
-
Reduce
the Use of Pesticides, Herbicides, and Insectisides
- Many household products
made to exterminate pests are also toxic to humans, pets, wildlife, fish,
small aquatic organisms and plants.
- Use natural pest control
methods whenever possible. If you must use pesticides and herbicides, always
read labels carefully to determine correct application amounts, and do not
apply right before it rains.
Maintain Slope
Stability
- Stabilize slopes with
deep-rooted vegetation to increase stormwater infiltration and decrease erosion.
- Diminish steep slopes
with retaining walls and terraces.
- Stabilize streambanks
by planting deep-rooted shrubs along streams.
Use Permeable Surfaces
- Use permeable pavement
like gravel instead of cement or asphalt.
- Limit areas requiring
impervious surfaces, such as driveways, patios, and parking lots.
- Reduce areas of grass
lawn, which can form a mat of dense vegetation that prevents infiltration
and encourages stormwater runoff.
Use Low-Maintenance
Techniques
- Plant native vegetation,
which requires less watering and fewer chemical additives.
- Establish the smallest
lawn that satisfies your recreational needs.
- Use lawn alternatives
such as native sedges, wildflower meadows, and gardens.
Control Stormwater
Runoff On-Site
- Direct runoff from the
property into a rain/wetland garden or vegetated swale to slow the flow of
water and increase infiltration.
- Plant trees and other
deep-rooted vegetation, like dogwoods, that will absorb stormwater.
- Maintain or restore
vegetated riparian buffers along streams.
- Ensure that all soil
surfaces are vegetated or mulched to encourage infiltration and reduce erosion.
- Collect roof runoff
in a barrel and use it to water your lawn and garden.
Your
house roof, like pavement, sheds water. If
downspouts from roof gutters empty onto grassy
areas, the water will have a chance to soak into
the ground. Aim downspouts away from
foundations and paved surfaces. For roofs without gutters,
plant
grass, spread mulch, or use gravel under the drip line to prevent soil erosion
and
increase the ground's capacity to absorb water. Use cisterns or rain barrels
to catch the rainwater and use it for watering lawns and gardens in dry weather.
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