A visit with Ken Wagner, Ph.D., C.L.M. - April 6, 2005

Overview

This meeting occurred on April 6, 2005 in the Selectmen's Room of the Wellesley Town Hall. There were about 25 people present. The presentation was very informative and large number of useful facts where presented. I attempted to capture the essence of the presentation below - John Ciolfi.

Ken is Project Manager for ENSR, consultants to the Morses Pond Ad Hoc Committee for the Morses Pond Management Program.

Ken speaking 2005_0406_193802_web.gif
Ken speaking 2005_0406_193802_web.gif

Morses Pond Management Plan

Morses Pond Management plan is a project sponsored by the Town of Wellesley and the Community Preservation Committee, to:

• Determine the most appropriate course of action to meet use objectives as defined by community goals.
• Develop a comprehensive management plan using all available resources in a public process.

Morses Pond serves two purposes for Wellesley

1. Water supply
2. Recreational uses: swimming, boating and fishing.

Management plan time line

• Determine goals and priorities: Sep-Dec 2004 - Done
• Collect in-lake information: Sep-Oct 2004 - Done
• Collect watershed info Oct-Dec 2004 Done
• Evaluate management options: Dec - Jan 05 Done
• Prepare preliminary plan: Feb-Mar 05 - in draft form
• Refine plan: Apr-Jun 05 - next steps now in progress

Priorities

• Water supply (town wells)
• Contact recreation (swimming)
• Flood control (holding water)
• Fishing (catching fish)
• Environment/wildlife protection (habitat)
• Non-motorized boating (paddling, rowing, sailing)
• Non-contact recreation (passive uses, education)

Focus of Management Actions

• Reduced algae and increase water clarity
• Reduced rooted plant biomass, especially invasive plants

• Turbid (muddy) water
• Invasive plants

To deal with plants, you have to deal with the sediment.

Results of no action alternative

• Northern basin fills in over about 20 years.
• Water quality in southern basin declines
• Increased severity/duration of algal blooms
• Reduced recreational utility
• Invasive plants continue
• Use goals not met

Management-oriented conclusions to date

• Failure to act threatens all uses of Morses Pond
• Questionnaire responses indicate more use desired
• Watershed action in Wellesley alone can improve water quality in the pond.

Management-oriented conclusions to date

• Sediments in areas targeted for possible dredging are clean (e.g. no toxins, etc). Dredging costs $20.00 cubic yard to dredge (on cheap side and most likely more) and 1.00 on sale. Plus significant costs for permit, equipment setup, trucking, etc. These figures are approximate.
• Until nutrient and sediment loads are reduced, there are options for in-lake management.
• Options for managing invasive plans also exist, but some testing is needed for evaluation
  1. Herbicide use is under consideration. I believe the proposal is to try a chemical compound called 'Sonar' which is also known as fluridone within the upper coves (cove 2) which is in the north-west corner off Pickerel Rd.
  2. Harvesting is under consideration.
     • Ideally, we'd purchase a "better" harvester that has more capacity with deeper reach and better cutting ability. It should also have barge towed behind for the weeds to make the weed cutting more efficient. A new harvester is between $200,000.00 and $250,000.00 plus another 250,000 over the next 20 years for maintenance.
     • The current harvester is capable of 30-50 acres running full-time. We need one capable of 85 acres that is manned by two people from April/May to September. The reason for starting early is to get the weeds at the bottom.
     • Repairs on the current harvester were completed last year. If it is used again, Ken is recommending that it be used on one or two coves, the ones that best benefit the town, and harvest them correctly. Ken also noted that a lot has been learned in harvesting practices over the past 10 years that can be applied here, which may make harvesting very effective.
     • If we were to contract out harvesting, it would be more expensive than if done by the two. Harvesting outside costs a couple hundred of dollars per acre.
• Estimated cost to manage pond 'correctly' is less than originally expected.
  1. Maybe 5-7 million for whole package (dredging, harvesting, etc.).
  2. Northern portion of the pond would be top priority since it will yield the most benefit for the town. This would consist of dredge 18,000 cubic yards, which would be around $550,000.00. It would take several months to do the dredging.
  3. The northern portion of the pond has approximately 1 foot of soft sediment deep. Other areas of the pond have more sediment.

Watershed

Incoming phosphorus can be addressed with alum (spelling?) (same as Aluminum Sulfate?). This chemical compound reduces Phosphorus by binding with it and turning the dissolved phosphorous to sludge.

Other chemical options can be considered, but limited by the fact that pond is used as a drinking water supply.

Wells

Best estimate 60% of water comes from Pond.