Skinequit Pond is an 18-acre kettle pond located south of Rte. 28, in South Harwich, MA. It is 30 feet deep at the deepest point in the center and it has a working herring run that exits at the South end and flows to Nantucket Sound. It once had a working cranberry bog at the North end.
In 1998 we experienced a toxic algae bloom that killed fish, tadpoles, and clams and made the water unsafe for swimming for about six to eight weeks of the summer.
The Harwich Department of Natural Resources, along with some residents, tried to remediate the pond with aeration, with barley bales, with a wood or metal dam to block run-off, and with grids that would attract bacteria. Nothing helped.
In 2000 we formed W.A.S.H. as a non-profit 501(C) 3 organization. In 2002-03 we joined the regional and town Water Quality Task Force, and have been testing oxygen and clarity levels for 12 years. There are 365 ponds on the Cape, many of them with impaired water quality. This is due to years of malfunctioning septic tanks, fertilizers, road run-off, and the use of phosphates, as well as the normal process of eutrophication.
In the fall of 2006 residents met to discuss alternatives. We researched all available remediation including dredging, the use of chemical alum, aerating pumps powered by electricity, or solar-powered aeration. We chose the SolarBee which circulates the cooler water from below and moves it out into the pond. Twenty individuals and families contributed and we received a small grant from the town. The SolarBee, which cost $45,000, was installed on April 5, 2007.
Over the course of the past eight years we have not experienced a toxic bloom. We see gradual improvement of the water quality, but each summer as water temperatures rise, we notice a green cloudiness that indicates that non-toxic algae are active. If we have any concern, we send a sample to a lab for testing.
The SolarBee is covered by a maintenance contract and is serviced twice a year or more often if there is a problem. It is safe for wildlife and fish, but we ask that everyone on the pond keep their visitors at a distance. We also ask that pond neighbors alert and warn anyone getting too close to the equipment.
We believe that we have secured a healthier pond for all to use and enjoy. Yearly contributions have made that possible. We invite your participation, and welcome inquiries about our efforts to contribute to the ecological health of our watershed.
–Deborah Aylesworth; July, 2015