IMPORTANT ISSUES:
Down Island Speaker Series Success
The third Down Island Speaker event was held on October 24th at the Edgartown Library. Bryan Horsley from MASSTC joined us to talk about strategies for wastewater nutrient pollution management. Bryan discussed three categories of wastewater management including centralized sewers/municipal treatment plants, onsite I/A septic systems, and onsite eco-sanitation systems. He shared considerable detail on existing systems and those in development - many being researched at MASSTC - especially in the latter two categories; and for all three was able to provide insight into comparative costs, energy usage, regulatory challenges, pros and cons. Generously, Bryan shared his slides, which are included here. As for the two previous talks, the audience was sizable and engaged. The fourth and final talk will be held virtually in January with more information coming later this year.
Areas of the pond Closed to Shellfishing- Update November 1 : Closure still in effect
The LPA recently participated in the Earth Day beach clean up and Earth Day Conservation Festival at the museum! Pictured above is Dani Ewart, Doug Reece, Amy Russo, Lani Goldthorpe, and Rick Karney cleaning up trash and managing our booth!
Happening on Lagoon Pond:
Light Up the Lagoon Parade: What a Success!! Many of you participated so you may have seen for yourself, but for those who missed it, groups of people lined the Lagoon shores with their flashlights, lanterns, noisemakers, and even some sparklers. Surrounding homes were lit up with outdoor and indoor lights and strings of lights. Moored boats were decorated with lights as well.
The newest addition to Light Up the Lagoon, the Parade of Boats, was the
crowning touch. No matter where you were watching from, be it the head of
the lagoon, the beach road bridge or anywhere in between, the line up of
lighted boats passed by you. Doug Reece, LPA past president, led the parade
and reported on what he saw and heard as they travelled from the head of the
Lagoon to their turn around at the drawbridge and return. They were greeted
by whoops of joy, lights, and noisemakers from the sides of the Lagoon --
which they returned. Those in the Parade of Boats had a front row seat to
the activity the whole length of the Lagoon. So if you have a boat, next
year consider joining the parade for one of the best views of the Light Up.
Thank you to all who participated and made this such a wonderful event. You
helped the LPA honor our precious Lagoon Pond and highlight the importance
of keeping it clean and safe. (Check our website in the coming weeks for
pictures and videos.)
Lagoon Pond Association supports Amendment 10 to protect river herring:
Positive update on Amendment 10 to protect herring run: https://www.mvtimes.com/2024/07/17/small-win-island-river-herring/
Science Committee Chair, Maria Abate, represented the LPA Board at the New England Fishery Management Council's April 22 Scoping Meeting to voice the LPA's support for “Amendment 10” regulations on Atlantic Herring commercial trawlers. These trawler nets also capture 100+ metric tons of river herring as the herring swim from the sea each spring into typical spawning grounds such as Upper Lagoon Pond where they were born. River herring are an important food source to migratory birds, striped bass and other fish thereby supporting the island food web and local fishing economy. The numbers of fish homing to the island herring “runs” are down to a few percent of historic amounts. The LPA Board recognizes urgent actions are required to reverse their loss and recommended 1) fishing area closures to avert the trawlers from the path of the migrating river herring; 2) restore the coastal midwater trawler exclusion zone, 3) employ a robust observer program to document river herring being caught are within sustainable population limits; and 4) support funding initiatives for locally monitoring river herring runs.
Safe Harbors Marina: LPA is collaborating with Safe Harbors Marina on water quality and boating safety issues on Lagoon Pond
Read MV Times article re Nitrogen Pollution Remediation
UPDATE: The MV Shellfish Group succeeded in planting eelgrass in the
Lagoon. With assistance from LPA members in collecting shoots and
participating in the weaving, Alley McConnell (Restoration Coordinator) and
two scuba certified volunteers placed the shoots in a marked area near the
bridge. Fingers crossed for success !
Relevant Happenings and events:
September 10: Thank you to all who attended and donated items to our Silent Auction! And a SPECIAL THANKS to Ann Smith at Featherstone Center for the Arts for providing the lovely venue. What a wonderful evening was had by all!!
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We welcome new members, both individual and business, to the Lagoon Pond Association (LPA). The LPA is a public interest group dedicated to improving the quality of the environment around Lagoon Pond on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. LPA members have the opportunity keep up to date on critical issues influencing the water quality in the Lagoon through both our own programs and more generally by affecting the policies and actions of several governmental entities that have influence on the environment around the pond.
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Our Impact:
573+
acres impacted
The Lagoon Pond estuarine system is a simple estuary with a single armored inlet through the barrier beach. Its 3,889 acre watershed is situated along the eastern edge of Martha’s Vineyard and is bounded by the Sengekontacket Pond watershed to the east. Lagoon Pond itself is 573 acres and lies in a north/south orientation with one small tributary cove referred to as the West Arm, and the main tidal reach consisting of a lower , middle and upper basin based upon geomorphologic features.
30+
Years Serving communities
The LPA was formed 1n 1989 by the merging of two similar organizations: the Oklahoma Association in Tisbury and the Eastville-Lagoon Association in Oak Bluffs. Both had the same essential mission—to protect and preserve Lagoon Pond. In 1989 they “came to their senses” and merged to become a single, stronger voice.