The Martha's Vineyard Times

Greening Martha : Environmental group will present Mill Pond study findings

January 11, 2012

File photo by Tim Johnson

Mill Pond in full bloom.

The West Tisbury Mill Pond committee will hold a public information meeting at the Howes House, West Tisbury begining at 7 pm, Wednesday, January 18, to discuss the latest findings of recent studies.

Carl Nielsen, a senior water resource scientist and aquatic biologist with ESS Group, Inc. will present the findings of environmental and engineering studies that ESS recently completed for the town. The talk will feature a power point presentation and a question and answer period.

ESS has studied the physical and biological features of the pond and is expected to make recommendations for future management of the pond, according to a committee press release. The goal of the committee is to create a long-range management plan for the Mill Pond to address issues such as shoaling, invasive species, and wildlife habitat improvements.

According to the draft report, management techniques ESS has rejected include chemical treatment, herbicides, mechanical weeding and draining the pond to kill in-pond vegetation by freezing.

Techniques recommended include hand weeding using volunteers and sediment dredging either hydraulically or mechanically using an excavator.

ESS also recommends constructing a man-made marsh at the head of the pond to catch sediment and nutrients entering the water body.