The Oyster Pond Environmental Trust Newsletter, Winter 1997
OPET, P.O. Box 496, Woods Hole, MA 02543-0496
The storms that pummeled the Cape in the beginning of November were a sharp reminder that while Oyster Pond's salinity level may be controlled in the future by the weir, its runoff remains dependent on the Trunk River outlet to Vineyard Sound. The big Southeaster of November 1st and 2nd played havoc with the boulders of the already weak Trunk River jetties and stuffed the outlet with tons of rock. This completely stopped any outflow from the pond whose level kept rising with the heavy rains.
The Falmouth DPW acted very quickly and efficiently rebuilt the caved-in jetties, scooped out the rocks from the river bed, and by Nov. 5th at noon had a brisk stream of Oyster Pond water rushing into the Sound, sweeping along thousands of alewife fingerlings that had been ready to leave their Oyster Pond nursery grounds but had found barred their exit to Vineyard Sound.
During the full-moon extra-high tides of the storm of Nov 14, Oyster Pond received a hefty fresh dose of saltwater. Trunk River outlet got plugged once more, allowing the high surf pass into the outlet but no water to leave the pond.
OPET will need to turn its attention to Trunk River. As Dave Aubrey pointed out in his talk at the Annual Meeting, we will need to face the fact that the beach along Surf Drive and the bike path is eroding rapidly, and that the Trunk River jetties that protect the Oyster Pond outflow into Vineyard Sound, are falling apart. -- hr
The passing of Charlie Spohr last spring, brought sadness to many OPET members. Many of us in the Oyster Pond watershed community frequent the trail that connects Fells with Ransom Rd and passes through Spohr Gardens. We were accustomed to see Mr. Spohr working hard in his Gardens, directing the pruning or thinning of frees, the placement of plants, boulders, artifacts or sprinklers, the mulching, weeding and transplanting. The Spohr Gardens, originally designed by Mrs, Spohr and planted, enlarged and cared for by Charlie Spohr, have been open to the public tor many years. They are a special attraction in the spring when they burst with the colors of azalea, rhododendron, daffodil, magnolia and other spring flowering bushes, trees and plants. The fate of the Gardens, which offer public access to the northern shore ot Oyster Pond, is of great concern to OPET: for one, the property comprises several buildable lots should the Gardens become subdivided, and second, if the Gardens continue as such (as would be Mr. Spohr's wish) the way they are managed in the future is important, especially with regard to the application of fertilizers and pesticides (Mr. Spohr had no use for either). OPET hopes to be able to have some measure of influence if not in the fate of the Gardens then in their management.
OPET Sponsors Science Projects
To promote awareness among Falmouth's youth of the fragility of coastal pond ecosystems, and to be better able to evaluate the impact of construction of a weir at the Pond's outlet into the culvert at Surf Drive, OPET is sponsoring pond study projects in collaboration with Falmouth Academy students. One study centers on water properties such as salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients --extending the Pondwatchers' summer water samplings throughout the year. OPET collaborates on this with Falmouth Academy juniors Misha Strumwasser and Andrew Davies. Dr. Anne Giblin trom the MBL, and Drs. Dale Goehringer and Brian Howes from the Pondwatchers are the advisors. Another project is to determine what fish species are making a comeback in the Pond and how they will be faring once the weir is in. Dr. Linda Deegan trom the MBL is the adviser here for OPET and Dan Murphy, yet another student from Falmouth Academy. Watch for hardy seiners wading out into the pond and hardy water samplers in a dinghy during the cold (burrrrr) months to come!
OPET is now exempt trom having to pay Massachusetts Sales Tax for "all Purchases of tangible personal property..." to the extent that such property is used in the conduct of the business of OPET.
We have also acquired a bulk mail permit tor tax-exempt organizations which, at the present rate of mailings, will save us about $100 per year and lots of stamp-licking/stamp- sticking. --Barry Norris
The Watershed editors regret having omitted photo credits in the previous issue. the historic photos depicting K.O. Emery and triends collecting water samples from Oyster pond were taken in the late 1960's by Bob Livingstone who generously allowed us to print them.
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