If you've noticed more activity on the pond this summer, it's not an accident. Valley Paddlers, a brand new Easthampton business, opened this spring on Nashawannuck Pond. The boat rental company is owned by Melanie Salvaggio and Katie MacCallum and offers visitors several options to enjoy the pond -- a four person pedal boat, single or tandem kayak, or a canoe. Business has been brisk and it's not unusual to see several boaters on the water who are out for a leisurely paddle, spending a quiet hour or two enjoying nature. If you follow Nashawannuck Pond on Facebook, you will often see photos of great herons, turtles, ducks, cormorants, etc. that have been seen while exploring the pond. Nashawannuck Pond is man-made, created in 1847 by the Williston - Knight Button Company to answer the need for an abundant, steady water source by area industrial mills. As you view the pond standing on the boardwalk, you can see the widest portion of the pond.
When you begin your paddle, you will pass the White Brook tributary which is at the end of a cove on your right. The brook enters the pond through a culvert under the entrance to Nonotuck Park. On the other side of the culvert is a Gabion Weir which was installed to prevent silt from running into the pond. At the end of the navigable portion of the pond is the Broad Brook tributary. If you walk along the Toteman Trail in Nonotuck Park which runs along the pond, you will eventually come to a siltation basin. The Gabion Weir and siltation basin have performed well over the years, but are full of silt which needs to be removed. Both these projects are expensive but critical to keeping the pond stable. The pond committee has established permitting for the Gabion Weir project to move forward. Fundraising efforts are underway for both projects as well as ongoing weed control. On your return trip, you will pass Boathouse Beach and the new boat ramp. The ramp was installed by Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife through the efforts of the pond committee.
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Join us on Saturday, May 6 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM for Easthampton Clean Up Day! (Rain date: Sunday May 7th) The event is organized by The Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee in partnership with the Friends of The Manhan Rail Trail and Easthampton City Arts. So far, the areas to be cleaned include:
What to bring:
If you have an area of the city that you'd like added, please let us know. Got questions? Email nashawannuckpond@gmail.com If you're a local business who'd like to get involved, link here. Easthampton, MA - On Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017 the 4th Annual Easthampton WinterFest will be held in locations throughout the city. WinterFest is a day-long event celebrating winter, family fun, and Easthampton's historic past in the ice harvesting industry. The festival is coordinated by the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee and is a fundraising event created to bring awareness to the public about ongoing efforts needed to keep Nashawannuck Pond healthy for generations to come.
Outdoor and indoor activities will be held throughout the city including wagon rides by Blue Star Equiculture and an Historical Ice Harvest demonstration on Nashawannuck Pond by noted historian, Dennis Picard. Participants can try their hands at using a pond saw to "harvest" blocks of ice as they learn about Easthampton's part in the area's ice industry. There will also be plenty of indoor activities, including a Craft & Vendor Fair which last year drew over 60 vendors and 1,000 visitors and the annual Chili Cook Off, featuring area restaurants and organizations as they compete for the Best Chili Award. Bring the kids, grandparents, friends and out of area visitors and make it a day in Easthampton! Activities are free or by a small donation. More information about sponsorship and volunteering will be available on the pond's website: www.nashawannuckpond.org. Any organization or venue wishing to participate should contact the pond committee as soon as possible. Activites will be added to the day's calendar as we get closer to the event. For up to date information, join our mailing list and follow Nashawannuck Pond on Facebook. ### 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. 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. Our new Nashawannuck Pond T-shirts have arrived and were a big hit at Cultural Chaos where they were debuted. If you missed the opportunity to purchase your T at the event, don't worry. You can order them here!
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