Pond Programs and Resources

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Looking for a project for your pond group, neighborhood association, group of friends, or school group to help our ponds and learn more about them? Here are some programs that may interest you.

Catch Basin Maintenance Program

Adapted from a program designed by Falmouth Pond Coalition, this program is a collaborative effort between volunteers and, in the case of public roadways, the town’s Department of Public Works, or if private roadways, a neighborhood association to ensure that existing stormwater catch basins receive necessary maintenance for adequate function.

While the program requires some effort by the lead organizer(s), the data collection itself is relatively easy. A volunteer will measure the distance from the top of the basin grate to the sediment and record the data, along with any other observations, on a field form that is then submitted to the organizer. More details about the value of the program and step by step ‘how-to’ are available here.

Catch basin

Weed Watchers Workshop – Request a Weed Watcher Training

MA DCR Lakes and Ponds Program staff will bring live plant specimens to the training location for a hands-on identification workshop. Trainings are conducted at a time, date, and location of your choice but keep the following guidelines in mind:

  • Location should be a public space (no private homes please).
  • Dates for trainings should fall between the last week of May and the end of September.
  • Trainings can be requested for any weekday during normal business hours or Monday through Thursday evenings beginning no later than 6:00 PM.
  • Trainings typically last between two and three hours depending on the size of the group.
  • Five to twenty participants is ideal.

Email [email protected] or [email protected] to set up a training for your freshwater pond group.

submerged plants

Cape Cod Pond Watchers Bio-survey Program

The goal of the program is two-fold:

  • To engage members of the public to experience and learn more about their ponds and foster their stewardship in the use of ponds and living within their watersheds.
  • To collect biological data that will give a greater understanding of the ecology of the Cape’s ponds.

This APCC program aims to engage pond groups and other interested persons to be citizen scientists and document their observations of life in and around the Cape’s freshwater ponds.

A field observation form is provided along with supporting materials to assist you in basic identification of plants and animals. Documenting observations of wildlife and plant life will help to complete the full picture of our Cape ponds, individually and regionwide. Click here for more information.

Blue Dasher