Spot Pond needs much more study
Published on December 3rd, 1997
STONEHAM MA. - Be patient.
That was the request by state officials to the Board of Selectmen and a handful of interested residents last Tuesday night as they described the future recreational plans for Spot Pond.
Both Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) officials spoke at a quickly-called meeting arranged by State Rep. Paul Casey after town officials believed the state was dragging their feet in planning the future uses of Spot Pond.
The beautiful pond, which contains nearly four miles of shoreline on the Medford and Winchester line, will go off line as a primary water source in one month and will be used as an emergency supply in the future. One year ago, after a meeting with local officials, both the MDC and MWRA agreed to begin examining how Spot Pond could be used for passive recreational uses.
One year later, the town was given some good news and bad news about those possible uses.
First the good news, by as early as next summer, shoreline fishing may be allowed as long as the MDC has enough park rangers to patrol the area. And, of course, the pond is properly stocked.
MDC Commissioner David Balfour also announced that his agency is continuing their plans to expand access to the wooded areas east and south of the pond. A hiking trail can already be accessed from Stone Zoo to the Flynn Rink in Medford where conservation hikes are regularly held. A proposed 2.5 mile walking trail is also proposed to connect the south end of the pond with both the Botume House near the Woodland Road pumping station and the Flynn Rink.
But now the bad news.
Any other future recreational uses like sailing or canoeing, will have to wait at least two and a half years.
Gretchen Roorbach, project manager of planning for the MWRA, said it will take at least two years to examine how the pond will react to be taken off line.
Roorbach said since the MWRA will no longer be pumping water into the pond, they are unsure what will happen to the quality of the water (there are algae bloom concerns) and at what elevation the water will eventually come to rest.
"It is not cost effective to build anything or approve any uses until we know what the quality of water will be and its elevation," said Roorbach.
She said the MWRA must still decide whether to allow any nearby water runoff into the pond since it will still be used as an emergency water source. (Currently all drainage is purposely directed away from the pond.)
Roorbach said this upcoming summer will be a "key time to review the pond."
Although there were moans and groans from the audience when Roorbach announced the two-and-a-half-year study period, she noted that "things are happening fast."
"Two years is not very long in the big scheme of things," said Roorbach, pointing out that Spot Pond is just one of five reservoirs which the MWRA will be examining for possible recreational uses.
Roorbach was fairly confident that the MWRA would not allow any swimming, wind surfing or motor boats in the future because of its emergency supply status. Ice skating must be still be reviewed.
More concerned about fishing than swimming, some avid fishermen in the audience asked why the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Management had not been contacted about what type of fish could be stocked in the pond.
After the first of the year, Balfour said he would start to bring those state agencies, including Stone Zoo officials, together to get answers for the town.
Balfour and his staff took time to explain the work that has already been done along the east side of the pond and the many nature programs that are available to the public at Virginia Woods and Crystal Springs.
"We (MDC) did not want to wait," said Balfour. "We had a vision and so far we're in pretty good shape. The walkway around the pond is a priority and we've already started part of that."
Balfour's long range goals are to use the Botume House as a Visitors Center and construct a boardwalk that will stretch out over the water along the steep embankments on the west side of the pond to allow for a continuos walking path around the water.
"Some of the projects however have to wait until we obtain the parameters of what the pond can be used for as an emergency reservoir," said Balfour. "All of these issues will be discussed at intense public hearings over the next year(s)."
Selectmen Chairman Albert Conti told the state officials that Tuesday's small audience did not indicate a lack of interest of what's happening at the pond.
"We have a keen interest about what's going to happen here," said Conti. "We hope that you will listen to the community's input."
Roorbach said no decisions, including parking issues, would be made in a vacuum and community input from Stoneham, Winchester and Medford would be incorporated into any plan.
She said the water study would begin this spring after a memorandum of understanding is reached between the MDC and MWRA over who will have authority of specific areas.
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