Elver Ramp Monitoring preparatory meeting 2009

Grass pond is a small natural pond from which water flows through Cold Brook to meet Nantucket Sound at Saquatucket Harbor in Harwich, Massachusetts. A maximum size of 24 acres has been reported for Grass Pond, although historical flow manipulations for cranberry growing have likely reduced the size of Grass Pond. Presently there is high seasonal variability to the wetted perimeter and oufflow of the pond. The Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) own 60 acres of former cranberry bog east of Bank Street, Harwich, in the Grass Pond watershed. They share water rights with an adjacent cranberry bog operator granted from license No. 769 issued in 1927 by the MA Division of Waterways. The HCT has been considering options for land-use and habitat restoration of their bog property. They contacted the MA Division of Fish and Wildlife (Mass Wildlife) and Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) for advice on fish and wildlife restoration. They have also been working with the National Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) on potential agriculture and habitat restoration options for the property. Observation by HCT, Mass Wildlife, and MarineFisheries confirmed the presence of American eel in the Grass Pond watershed.

About the Author