Harwich Water Quality Task Force
Maintaining and restoring the Quality of Harwich Ponds and Harbors
Harwich, Ma
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Walker Pond Fact Sheet

Location

Off Spruce Road East Harwich

Pond Association

No

Number of homes

24

 IEP 1989 Study Yes

Pond Uses
  Swimming Yes  
  Boating Yes  
  Fishing    Yes Pickerel,  Bass, Perch 
  Other

             

Pond Characteristics
Shape- Size35.65 Acres Max Depth-18 feet
Beaches- Inlets None Outlets-None
Public Access Yes

% Developed-

% Conservation-DCPC

Shore Line Vegetation--

Docks-None

Current Conditions

Pond Vegetation-
Shellfish No Algae Yes  

Animal/Waterfowl-Geese, Ducks, Osprey, Bald Eagles

Runoff-From Rt 6 and Spruce Rd, Storm drains discharge onto West Shore

Erosion-Erosion at West End-Steep Bank

Conclusions
Present issues-Runoff/erosion from Spruce Rd
Future threats-Milfoil

 

Field Data Sheet Comments

8-16-06:      Questioning recaled PH meter.  Millfoil going from bottom to top and floating to the north shore.
10-14-05:      pH 7.1 pH reading suspect. Double checked with pH strip and got more normal reading of 5.0. Also tested with well water, meter read 7.1 and strip read 5.0. Lab analysis of pH has been between 5.1 and 5.4 for 4 years.

Pond Plants    For 12 weeks entire Little Floating Heart and Low Water Milfoil plants have dislodged  from southern shallow (2 to 4 ft) end of pond. Never before has this magnitude or duration been experienced. Wind moves weeds to north shore creating a big mess. Pond needs help! Please advise.

08-24-05:  Same message as above plus note that tea colored water is getting clearer, brownish foam on shore after strong winds and a fishy smell has developed from the pond.

08-10-05: Note: Low oxygen @ 7m. (DO drops from 5.31mg/l @ 6.0 m to 0.06mg/l @ 7.0m and % saturation drops from 51.1% @ 6.0m to 0.8% @ 7.0m. Total depth is 7.8m. Cable length is 7.0m)

07-27-05:  for 2 weeks huge 6inch thick mats of Little Floating Heart with long stems, no roots, and Low Water Milfoil have been dislodged from shallow end of pond. S W wind carries same to northern shore. On 07-13-05 depth finder was used to find deepest part of Walkers and Hawksnest Ponds. Walker ’s new station was marked with a buoy and is about 50 ft. east of previous test station and does not agree with contour map. Action was taken because test station depths were not as deep as previously recorded.