Monponsett Pond and Mosquitoes

• Aluminum Sulfate - How Does It Work?
• Brockton Administrative Consent Order - Monponsett Pond
• Brockton Resource Management Plan Scope of Work 1/24/2018
• Clean Water Toolkit
• EPA Watershed Model (long)
• EPA Watershed Model (short)
• East Monponsett Pond - End of Year Report - 2015
• Eutrophication and Aquatic Plant Management in Massachusetts
• Feasibility of Controls at Brockton Dam - SWMI Report 2015 (long)
• Feasibility of Controls at Brockton Dam - SWMI Report 2015 (short)
• Halifax 319 (Nonpoint Source Pollution) Application - 2016
• Low-Does Alum Treatment Analysis - November 2014
• Lycott Diagnostic/Feasibility Study 1987
• Lycott Monponsett Pond Management 2013
• Monponsett Habitat Management Plan (2017)
• Monponsett Pond Resource Management Plan - July 2018
• Monponsett Pond Resource Management Plan - Response to Comments - July 2018
• Monponsett Pond Total Daily Maximum Load - Draft
• Monponsett Watershed Association
• Phosphorus loading from onsite wastewater systems to a lake (at long time scales)
• Pond and Lake GEIR Appendices
• Practical Guide to Lake Management in Massachusetts
• Responding to Harmful Algal Blooms - Treatment Optimization
• SWMI Application 2014
• Stormwater Outfall Assessment Monponsett
• Stump Brook Dam Flow - July 2018
• Stump Brook Flow Restoration Priority Project (full report)
• Stump Brook Flow Restoration Priority Project (presentation)
• Sustainable Water Management Initiative
• Sustainable Water Management Initiative Report - 2013
• West Monponsett Algae Treatment Report 2017
• West Monponsett Pond Algae Treatment Report 2018
• West Monponsett Pond Report - 2015

Current Monponsett Pond Information

The Town of Halifax through its agent, SOLitude Lake Management, will begin treatment of West Monponsett Pond on Monday, May 14, 2018 and end the treatment on Friday, May 18th. SOLitude will be treating West Monponsett Pond with a solution of aluminum sulfate. Aluminum sulfate binds with phosphorous, one of the key nutrients that helps algae to thrive. By making the phosphorous unavailable as a nutrient, algae growth is reduced. This is being done to improve the water quality of West Monponsett Pond and with the hope that the Pond will be open for more days this spring and summer for recreational use including boating, swimming, and fishing. The Town asks that the Pond not be used, including no boating, swimming, or fishing, on days that West Monponsett Pond is being treated. These include the periods of May 14th to May 18th. Recreational use of West Monponsett Pond while the Pond is being treated will reduce the efficiency of the treatment and may interfere with the work being done by SOLitude. Regular recreational use of the Pond will resume on Saturday, May 19th. The State Boat Ramp will be closed on the days that treatment occurs. Anyone needing additional information should contact the Halifax Board of Selectmen's Office at 781-294-1316.

Data for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 can be reviewed.

The following table shows algae counts for the spring, summer and fall of 2019. A count of under 70,000 cells/ml (milliliter) is good. If there is a week in which the count goes above 70,000, it requires two consecutive counts of under 70,000 to lift the advisory on not swimming, boating, etc. At this time, West Monponsett and East Monponsett are tested once a week.
 

Current Mosquito Information

Latest Mosquito Information (July 25, 2019)

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health as of July 22, 2019, through its sampling program, has found several mosquitoes that tested postive for West Nile Virus (WNV) for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Halifax along with other communities in Plymouth County and Bristol County. Massachusetts Health and Human Services continues to provide sampling data.

The Halifax Board of Health has issued a mosquito alert. The Town of Halifax will be sprayed by the Plymouth County Mosquito Control District on July 26.

The Department of Public Health has placed Halifax in the "moderate risk" category for EEE.

While there are, as of yet, no cases of animals and humans with these diseases, residents should take precautions to prevent transmission. This includes personal protection but also actively preventing mosquitoes from breeding in the area. People have control over stagnant water in containers: buckets, tarps, tires, etc. Rinse them out, turn them over. Rinse bird baths at least twice a week.

Residents should continue to take precautions including removing all containers with standing water such as accumulating junk in the yard, not maintaining swimming pools and allowing them to sit with green stagnant water, along with toys, tarps and tires. The peak time for transmission of EEE and WNV will continue through at least some of September. The types of mosquitoes most likely to carry EEE and WNV are considered to be active dusk to dawn but the timing of that activity can be impacted by temperature, humidity, cloud cover and day length. In addition, active participation in outdoor sports increases our availability to mosquitoes. Physical exertion and sweating may also change individual attractiveness to mosquitoes and may decrease the time that repellents are effective. Health and Human Services has general information about prevention and control.

DPH is writing to ask you to help us get the word out to residents, schools and athletic groups, that it is important to take steps to avoid mosquito bites. Know the drill – mosquito repellents, clothing and limiting outdoor activity during peak mosquito activity hours. In case they are useful, the DPH wants to remind you of the short PSA videos that it has available online for you to download and use (or link to). They are available at www.mass.gov/mosquitoesandticks.

Also, keep in mind that our residents travel between cities and towns regularly and some of those may travel from areas not familiar with EEE or WNV.  They may not be mindful of the importance of preventing mosquito bites.  Please remind them.

To call for ground spraying of your property, call Plymouth County Mosquito Control at 781 585 5450

Individuals can call the Project, between 8:00am and 3:00pm on Monday through Friday, to request that their property be sprayed. The Project’s phone number is (781) 585-5450, fax (781) 582-1276 or mail us at P.O. Box 72, Kingston, MA 02364. To find out where the spray routes are going to be call (617) 582-6219 (during spray season). Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project

For more information on EEE and WNv, please see DPH's site at:

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/id/epidemiology/p...

Monponsett Pond - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the enabling legislation that allows the City of Brockton to divert water from Monponsett Pond?

There was legislation approved in 1893, 1896 and 1899 concerning Silver Lake and in 1885 concerning water resources in Rockland, Abington and "South Abington".

The Massachusetts State Legislature approved the enabling legislation in 1964. This was modified in 1981. The MA Department of Environmental Protection modified this slightly to allow for diversion to Silver Lake during the summer months under certain conditions.

The MA Department of Public Works approved a license for the diversion infrastructure in 1965.

Who do I contact to hold a fishing tournament, a boat contest or a similar event on Monponsett Pond?

Contact the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Permit forms can be downloaded or you can contact the Access Program Coordinator at 53 Groton Shirley Road, Ayer, MA 01432. Tel. 978-772-4658; Fax. 978-772-9824; Email [email protected]

How can I obtain a copy of the presentation made by Lycott Environmental in early 2013 concerning algae remediation?

A copy of the presentation is available on the Town's web site.

What studies are available about the natural and manmade water flows in the area?

The Division of Marine Fisheries published a report on the Forge Pond Dam, which is between Silver Lake and the Jones River in 2013. While not specific to Monponsett Pond, because Brockton is allowed to divert water from Monponsett Pond to Silver Lake, Monponsett Pond is mentioned a number of times. The Sustainable Water Management Initiative report concerning Silver Lake, Monponsett Pond and Stump Brook was completed in the summer of 2013.

What records are available for water flows to and from Monponsett Pond?

Diversion data for Monponsett Pond and other bodies of water (1996-2013) - Excel workbook

"[Link]Legend" for columns in the Excel workbook

Flows through the fish ladder at the Brockton Dam on Stump Brook (2013) - Text file

What examples exist of work being done on similar ponds in Massachusetts?

The White Island Pond (a pond in Wareham and Plymouth) Conservation Alliance has issued its brochure for 2013. It contains advice how how residents and others can lower the amounts of phosphorous going into White Island Pond along with a progress report of the work begin done. In addition, the Massachusetts Bureau of Resource Protection (part of DEP) issued a report (2010) on the Final Total Maximum Daily Load of Total Phosphorous for the pond, establishing a benchmark.

How much water can be diverted on a daily basis from Monponsett Pond to Silver Lake? How much water could be diverted downstream via Stump Brook?

According to Princeton-Hydro, the Silver Lake Diversion Pipe can divert a maximum of 40 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 25.8 million gallons per day (MGD).

The maximum amount of water that can be sent downstream using the fish ladder at the Brockton Dam on Stump Brook is 15 cfs or 9.7 MGD.

If the water level at the Brockton Dam is six inches above the height of the dam, then 80 cfs or 51.7 MGD will go over the dam.

If the water level at the Brockton Dam is one foot above the height of the dam, then 200 cfs or 129.3 MGD will go over the dam.