The Association owns land which contains two ponds that act as overflow retention areas and serve as decorative elements to the subdivision since 1997. Pond #1 is located on Route 30 & Bluestone Bay Drive on the west side. Pond #2 is located in the northeast corner of the subdivision, just north of the homes on Northwind Drive.
Maintenance of the ponds:
Pond maintenance is a challenge as after the first four years of existence they begin to change in response to environmental pressures. These pressures include:
* type & frequency of the water running into the ponds
* organic material added to ponds each season (leaves, cattail remnants, etc.)
* accumulation of organic matter each season at the bottom of the pond that is not broken down
turning into a black sludge
* water pressure which slowly pulls soil into the pond (most pond depths at creation are not too deep - about 4 feet and have a safety ledge around them, so with erosion makes them have a more gradual grade and
shallows which water heats up quickly and algae grows more easily)
Our ponds are over 12 years old and were in desperate need of an increase in maintenance in the spring of 2010. There is no single solution to pond issues, rather, a combination of treatments & efforts must be
incorporated over a series of years to reach the desirable pond balance. The treatment recommended by the vendor, and agreed to by the board in the spring of 2010, consists of visits approximately every two weeks (see bottom of page for recent maintenance report from pond vendor) to measure oxygen levels and apply additives for traditional pond maintenance. Supplemental treatments to help reduce the algae include:
a] A black dye which controls ultraviolet light and thereby slows the growth of algae. This was started in 2009.
b] Bacterial additive which is not a chemical, but an organic approach to assist in the acceleration of the decay of organic material (similar in concept to the RID-X product for septic tanks).To be effective, this treatment is required to be applied for several years in order to eliminate over 12 years worth of material build-up. This treatment is only effective when water temperatures are greater than 50 degrees, so the application starts usually around May 1st (started in 2010).
The greatest challenge is that even with these treatments, ponds are natural environments and with that have natural smells associated with them.
Pond Shore line
During 2005, the front entrance pond had a muskrat problem, contributing to soil falling into the pond. The board approved a 4 foot wide edge of rip-rap rock and was installed in the December 2005/January 2006. The border has been successful in slowing the erosion and muskrat issues since installation.
