July 1
After Saturday's rainfall the stream has a good inch of water along its entire length from the rise in the water table. It will soon dissipate. There was heavy erosion from the dirt road, overflowing the line of protective sandbags and collecting in the passageway by the culvert. The sandbag weir at the other end by Slough Pond is in disarray. Three bags, emptied of sand, have been tossed aside and a boulder added to the sand berm someone- no one knows who- created to block the stream. The stream does not need to be open now but this will have to be remedied by September. The passageway itself is in such full summer growth along its banks- it resembles a rain forest.
Numerous schools of alewife fry were observed circling in Slough Pond, notably smaller juveniles than those observed last week; as spawning occurred over several weeks this is quite natural.
After Saturday's rainfall the stream has a good inch of water along its entire length from the rise in the water table. It will soon dissipate. There was heavy erosion from the dirt road, overflowing the line of protective sandbags and collecting in the passageway by the culvert. The sandbag weir at the other end by Slough Pond is in disarray. Three bags, emptied of sand, have been tossed aside and a boulder added to the sand berm someone- no one knows who- created to block the stream. The stream does not need to be open now but this will have to be remedied by September. The passageway itself is in such full summer growth along its banks- it resembles a rain forest.
Numerous schools of alewife fry were observed circling in Slough Pond, notably smaller juveniles than those observed last week; as spawning occurred over several weeks this is quite natural.
Pine cones, ferns, and Indian Pipe along the path.
July 3
Schools of alewives passing by today... the class of '24.
July 8
Summer scenes from the Slough Pond Landing, day lilies in bloom, lowest water level we've seen so far, the diligent APCC crew testing the water, and the ever-present summer schools of alewives passing by.
Summer scenes from the Slough Pond Landing, day lilies in bloom, lowest water level we've seen so far, the diligent APCC crew testing the water, and the ever-present summer schools of alewives passing by.
The Town of Brewster posted a Cyanobacteria Advisory today for Lower and Upper Mill Ponds; people and pets should avoid contact with those water bodies until further notice. Slough Pond is not under this advisory.
July 31
The cyanobacteria alert is still in effect in the two Mill Ponds as we close out the month. It has not reached Slough Pond fortunately and never has. The 24 hour closure last summer was apparently a clerical error. There is some benefit to being an "intermittent stream" which naturally closes itself off during the summer months; Centerville's Long Pond fish passage is one of many across the Cape similar to our Walker's Slough stream. There is some low water in our stream, but it is mainly dry or muddy. The pond gauge which corresponds with the water table records a level of 1." Rainfall has been scarce, however, when it does arrive it is in downpours. As a result of which there has been more sand from stormwater runoff building up quite an accumulation at the culvert. And a large tree branch that had fallen over without blocking the stream in the spring does block it now. At the mouth of Slough, where the fry circle, living their best life in the summer waters, their emigration is blocked by a berm of sand, once a temporary sandbag weir, which must needs be remedied in the fall.
The cyanobacteria alert is still in effect in the two Mill Ponds as we close out the month. It has not reached Slough Pond fortunately and never has. The 24 hour closure last summer was apparently a clerical error. There is some benefit to being an "intermittent stream" which naturally closes itself off during the summer months; Centerville's Long Pond fish passage is one of many across the Cape similar to our Walker's Slough stream. There is some low water in our stream, but it is mainly dry or muddy. The pond gauge which corresponds with the water table records a level of 1." Rainfall has been scarce, however, when it does arrive it is in downpours. As a result of which there has been more sand from stormwater runoff building up quite an accumulation at the culvert. And a large tree branch that had fallen over without blocking the stream in the spring does block it now. At the mouth of Slough, where the fry circle, living their best life in the summer waters, their emigration is blocked by a berm of sand, once a temporary sandbag weir, which must needs be remedied in the fall.
