The lily pads are regrown, and while water clarity increased through most of July, we have now observed our first bright blue-green cyanobacteria dots of summer in open water. Blooms can be short lived but we must keep our eyes open since cyanobacteria can at times be harmful. It’s wise to avoid contact while these conditions persist.

On August 6th and 7th, the harvesters will return to help restore pond clarity and safety. We are testing and monitoring changes for an eighth year and we will keep you posted here (our blog) and here (the data). You can learn more about identifying potentially harmful blooms here.

Fresh Pond is not just a window into the aquifer. It is the the aquifer, the largest exposed portion of Shelter Island’s groundwater, the only source of drinking water on Shelter Island. Each year, 100 million gallons of fresh water flow through fresh pond and into our creeks, estuaries and bays.

This fall we will begin to clean the pond from the bottom up. Deep lakes turn-over as the season change and problems can re-surface.  This year we were awarded a $260,000 New York State grant and a $32,500 contribution from the town’s Water Quality Improvement program. We are delighted that your generous support all year and at the Ram’s Head Inn in June completed our matching community commitment of $32,500. Thank you!

In September, with the town, we will install equipment and fine tune a solution that will be as effective as 25 advanced septic systems – and more so in some ways. It will take a few more years of work, but we can make a permanent change for our community, our kids, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, for generations to come. 

Our citizen science efforts, now in an eighth year, are supported by the NYS Federation of Lake Associations and the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Fresh Pond can be a beacon of hope – showing us what Shelter Islanders can do if our communities pull together.

We can do it, with your generous help and support…