Join us on Saturday, September 24th from Noon - 3:00PM (rain date Oct. 1) as we welcome the Paradise City Dragon Boat to Nashawannuck Pond for a very special event! MillEasthampton Public School teachers will participate in a fun dragon boat "tug of war". The winning team will take the prize and have bragging rights. Following the competition, the Paradise City Dragon Boat team will offer dragon boat rides on the pond. Come ride the dragon. The admission for a dragon boat ride is a donation of a school supply or canned food item, to be collected in special dragon boxes the day of the event. Donations will be distributed to Easthampton Schools and the Community Center. Adults must accompany children in the boat. Personal Flotation Devices will be supplied. The details: 12:00 PM - Tug of War (Championship Award immediately thereafter) 1:00 - 2:30 PM - Dragon boat rides on the pond Children's Activities Tables available throughout the event. Raffle Prizes! Mill Street Deli will be on hand with awesome treats for the whole family. Mt. Tom's Homemade Ice Cream will unveil a new flavor to celebrate the event. Nashawannuck Pond will be selling our new T-shirts and notecards - your support helps our beautiful pond. This event is brought to you by Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee and the Paradise City Dragon Boat. If you or your business would like to be a sponsor of this wonderful family event, please contact us. Follow the event on Facebook and please help us get the word out.
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Nashawannuck Pond has a long, problematic history with excessive macrophytes (large aquatic plants) and algae. Despite the implementation of a wide variety of Best Management Practices (BMP’s), the Pond continues to suffer from a proliferation of aquatic vegetation, both native and non-native. A large watershed combined with a high nutrient budget and rich organic sediments have made it abundantly clear that additional in-lake measures are necessary to control this vegetation. Several vegetation management techniques were considered before deciding to apply herbicides and algaecides to the Pond. The use of herbicides/algaecides for control of excessive and invasive macrophytes and algae is one of the most common and potentially effective management strategies. This method is particularly effective for the reduction for “selective thinning” or reducing an over-abundance of native plant species and controlling new or established infestation of non-native exotic species such as Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil). The goals of the Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan are: • The removal of aquatic nuisance vegetation to retard pond eutrophication • The thinning of vegetation to improve habitat value • In stream habitat enhancement The project received a tremendous boost when Florence Savings Bank pledged $10,000 towards the permitting and treatment of the water. On July 6, 2016, a licensed herbicide applicator applied two different chemicals to approximately 15 acres of the Pond. A noticeable reduction of macrophytes and algae was evident in the days that followed. All indications are that the initial application was a huge success in meeting the goals of the project. Future applications will be necessary to maintain the success of the initial treatment. With due diligence, it is probable that the necessity of these applications will become less frequent and treatment acreage will be reduced. |