Clarity increases

James did final post harvest cleanup sampling near the Fresh Pond road access and in the open center of the pond. We hope to get meaningful results in the next week of so.

Good news: James measured nearly two meters of clarity in open water yesterday. That’s over six feet, enough to see your toes, up from about four two weeks ago.

James noted the rapid regrowth of lily pads accompanying the increase in clarity, while the harmful mats have not returned, exactly as we hoped. The light appears to have given the lily pads an opportunity to flourish and help remove the nutrients that create algae blooms, while over 11,000 pounds of vegetation has been removed to avoid decay.

We are enjoying the bullfrogs, plentiful herons, and watching the osprey fish the plentiful in supply of blue gill. We continue to adapt our short-term cleanup strategies as we prepare for iniital pilot testing of our long-term cleanup next spring and summer.

One concern is that not all areas were cleared of the thick algal mats. These can be harmful if swallowed, so continue to keep children and pets out.