Cape Cod Ponds Network

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Cape Cod Ponds Network

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Meeting 7 – April 18, 2024. Agenda included three program ideas for pond groups to undertake; update on the Freshwater Initiative; APCC pond program update; announcements – launch of monthly Ponds Network eNewsletter and summer in person meeting TBD. Meeting recording (Vimeo).

Meeting 6 – August 1, 2023 at OneCape Summit. Agenda included Remote Sensing Overview – Nicole Bartlett, NOAA. Attendees broke into discussion groups: Group 1 – Organizing an Association and Communicating Challenges and Solutions; Group 2 – Monitoring Your Pond and Thinking Bigger: Applying Priorities at a Larger Scale. Recording (YouTube)

Meeting 5. June 5, 2023 – Cape Cod Regional Pond Monitoring Program -Julie Hambrook Berkman, Project Director – Pond and Cyanobacteria Monitoring Programs, Association to Preserve Cape Cod; Gathering Information and Better Understanding Your Pond -Kathleen Mason, Water Resources Analyst, Cape Cod Commission; and Discussion of Pond and Lake Friendly Signage Programs -Tim Pasakarnis, Water Resources Analyst, Cape Cod Commission https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpRa0VtScpk

Meeting 4. On February 27, 2023 meeting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=524kVRSFyho All about communications, outreach and engagement.

Communications and Outreach in the Lake Champlain Basin
-Ryan Mitchell, Communications and Publications Coordinator, Lake Champlain Basin Program & Information Officer, NEIWPCC

Communications, Outreach, and Engagement Efforts on Cape Cod
Educational Workshop Models: Developed by Avalon, AmeriCorps Cape Cod Service Member, hosted by Cape Cod Commission and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension
Three pond group representatives shared their efforts:

Deep Pond Preservation Project – Mary Grauerholz
Friends of Peters Pond – Chris Dennis
Save Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Alliance – Susan Dangel

Meeting 3. Cape Cod Ponds Network, Meeting 3, 11/07/2022 – YouTube On November 7, 2022, the Pond Network met virtually. Commission staff reviewed the Cape Cod Freshwater Initiative, and highlighted relevant tasks, including the stakeholder engagement process. We heard from pond groups about their summer events, and topics for 2023 were discussed.

Meeting 2. On August 2, 2022, the second network meeting was held in person at the 2022 OneCape Summit.

Attendees were asked to submit a most recent project their pond group has undertaken. Here is the compilation of those projects!

Monitoring

IPA – Indian Ponds Association

One-day sampling event July 10th of 34 ponds

Falmouth Water Stewards

Vegetation inventory in and around the lake

Friends of Cedar Lake

Cyanobacteria monitoring program with APCC; Developed rack card of best practices and mailed to pondfront residents

Friends of Chatham Waterways

Solarbees circulator to control phosphorus

Friends of Santuit Pond

Developing a fact sheet for rentals/airbnb’s of “Do’s and Don’t’s”

N/A

“Spec” East Sandwich stormwater runoff

LHPOA – Lake Hills Property Owners Association (Spectacle Pond Environmental Committee)

Cyanobacteria sampling with APCC; Gathering Secchi disk data for Tara Nye Lewis, Cape Cod Commission. Will be holding education meeting on “How to Love Your Pond” with APCC staff presenting.

Friends of Peters Pond

Planning second annual “Make a Splash” event where swimmers swim a 3mile course from tip of Mashpee Pond to the other side of Wakeby. Kayakers accompany swimmers, culminating with a community picnic at the end.

Save Mashpee Wakeby Pond Alliance

Developed a pond management plan for remediation of eutrophication

WASH – Watershed Association of South Harwich

“Celebrate Our Waters” – an annual event. A weekend of multiple events all free and water-related held in September.

Orleans Pond Coalition

Celebrate and update 10-year Wellfleet Pond Management Plan; Forming a Wellfleet Pond Coalition; Monitoring for cyanobacteria with APCC.

Wellfleet Natural Resources Advisory Board-Pond Committee

Monitoring for cyanobacteria with APCC

GUPACA – Gull Pond Area Conservation Association

Meeting 1. In June 2022, the first meeting (YouTube) of the CCPN was convened by APCC and the Cape Cod Commission. At this kick off meeting, objectives of the network were discussed. Here are some objectives:

Provide a regional forum for discussion and updates around pond issues and related topics
Inform the stakeholder process for the Cape Cod Commission’s Freshwater Initiative
Advance pond improvement strategies identified through the Freshwater Initiative
Serve as a clearinghouse for ideas shared among groups
Promote public policies for freshwater protection
Explore funding opportunities

Following the meeting, a survey was sent out to attendees to obtain more information from pond groups to assess regional needs.