Where to test equipment in MA?

[MSilvia]

Hi Matt, I never saw the numbers - but from word of mouth (mostly from Al at SS divers) I stopped diving in this pond last season. That said, I think I would go in now with the water being so cold.

I did my OW dives there in 1987, and haven't been back since. It wasn't bad at the time, but it has been ever since I got back into diving in the late 90s. Cold poop is still poop, and I'd rather not swim in it.

Apparently, they are still stocking the hell out of it with salmon this spring - but I don't know if that's much of an indicator.

I don't think it's much of an indicator. They've been stocking the pond since the mid 20th century. From my site research notes:

Over the past fifty years or so, Long Pond has been stocked with a variety of fish species, including brook, brown and rainbow trout, Chinook, landlocked, and sockeye salmon, smallmouth bass, brown bullheads, white perch, chain pickerel, walleye, rainbow smelt, and alewives. It is still heavily stocked with trout in the spring, and regularly produces trout and salmon in excess of 12 lbs.

This deep, cold water pond was once a favorite training site when ocean conditions were unfavorable, but has since shown problems with bacterial contamination. It is fed by groundwater and an inlet from Little Long Pond, and possibly due to runoff from nearby housing developments Long Pond has failed to meet state guidelines in recent years. Massachusetts water quality standards for E.Coli bacteria in recreational waters is 200 per 100ml of water, but samples in 2003 registered between 2,800 and 4000 per 100ml.

 

[scubastew]

we talking Long Pond in Plymouth? there's like 15 bodies of water named "long pond" in massachusetts inlcuding, Plymouth, Lakeville, Brewster, Wellfleet and Rutland. Yikes never knew there was that many long ponds

 

[MSilvia]

Yeah, Long Pond in Plymouth.

 

[scubastew]

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_pond/dfwlongp.pdf

 

[pgdive]

Has anybody ever heard of problems with Hathaways Pond. I know the visibility has gotten progresively worse over the last 10 years, I don't know if this is due to run off or some other type of contamination.

Paul

 

[MSilvia]

Has anybody ever heard of problems with Hathaways Pond. I know the visibility has gotten progresively worse over the last 10 years, I don't know if this is due to run off or some other type of contamination.

Paul

I don't know of any problems with Hathaways, but I'm burned out at work today, so I'll look into it..

 

[scubastew]

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_pond/dfwhath.pdf

I dove Hathaway last year, it seemed okay with decent viz, but cant say what it may have been 10years ago though, sorry

 

[MSilvia]

Last week the Barnstable town council acted on resolution 2005-065
"AUTHORIZING THE EXPENDITURE OF $5,000 TO ENABLE
THE BARNSTABLE RECREATION COMMISSION TO CONTINUE TO
STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A CAMPGROUND AT
HATHAWAY’S POND BY PROCURING AN ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT."

That may provide a detailed water quality analysis, or better still a place to camp next to the pond.

In any case, Barnstable beaches were tested for "indicator organisms" (enterococci and E. coli) weekly from June 1, 2004 to August 30, 2004. Of 14 samples collected, 14 passed, 0 failed. I'd say it's safe, or at least it doesn't seem to have mammalian fecal matter in it.

http://www.barnstablecountyhealth.org/bsbarnstable.htm

 

[scubastew]

having a camp sight near the pond I imagine would negatively impact water quality? no? or at least increase the ("filtered") budweiser content?

 

[pgdive]

Back when I used to teach with a YMCA scuba program that used Hathaways religously every Spring and fall, I can remeber days where the viz was 30+ feet. Now even in the srping when the water is cold it seams murkier. I know there is a lot more development around that area now.

On a side note, Hathaways used to be a lot busier with divers. Every weekend in the spring there would be 3-4 groups doing cert dives as well as indivdual divers doing their own thing. Parking was at a premium. The last couple of times I've gone down with students we were the only group there.

It's still better than Mirror lake up at Ft Devens. We've used that a few times for classes and it's always like soup.

Paul