Note: The following are not the official minutes of these committee meetings! They are intended instead to highlight some of the key items of discussion at these meetings so that the reader can understand (in general terms) the goals and objectives of the Marstons Mills River Committee.

Purple Loosestrife plants have been found in large numbers in Middle, Hamblin and Mill Ponds [see the link below for more information].

On September 13, 2005, the Town Of Barnstable's Conservation Commission granted a permit for the removal of the Loosestrife and a special meeting of the Marstons Mills River Committee will be held September 19, 2005 to discuss the steps to be taken.

Please meet at the Liberty Hall Club, 2150 Main Street, Marstons Mills, MA at 8:00 am and we'll work until about noon. See more information about the cleanup here. Call Al Baker at 508-428-2433 if any questions.

Geri Anderson attended the meeting and will be representing the Indian Ponds Association, filling in for Ed Schwarm who is ill.

The cold, wintry weather has delayed construction efforts to install the new sluice liner in the 140 foot section abutting the control gate at Middle Pond. The current plan is to start work by March 15 with the goal being to having it completed no later than April 1. A large white pine tree has fall across the work area and will need to be removed before work can commence.

The installation work will be performed primarily by the Barnstable Department of Public Works under the direction of Doug Kalwait of Natural Resources.

Some sections of the sluiceway [near where it enters the Marstons Mills River] will require repairs. The wooden side panels have rotted and collapsed and must be shored-up prior to the run of the Herring. These repairs will be temporary in nature as the plan is to install the new liner along the entire length of the sluiceway within a year.

The Marstons Mills River Committee has scheduled two dates for river cleanup activities: Sunday June 6, 2004 and Sunday June 13, 2004.

Please meet at the Liberty Hall Club, 2150 Main Street, Marstons Mills, MA at 8:00 am and we'll work until about noon. See more information about the cleanup here.

Most of the meeting evolved around the planned reconstruction of the sluiceway. Verbal quotes were reviewed, with a lot of discussion on issues related to the logistics of constructing it.

The borrowing of a fish counter from the Department Of Marine Fisheries is not likely to occur. An alternative program using manual counting will be pursued.

Significant progress has been made in the reconstruction of the control gate between the lagoon at Middle Pond and the top of the sluiceway. The finishing touches will be completed in a couple of weeks.

The next focus will be the reconstruction to about 150 feet of the sluiceway itself were it connects to the newly reconstructed control gate. This needs to be rebuilt because the bottom of the control gate was lowered. Several alternative materials that could be used were discussed, with the consensus being that some form of reinforced concrete would be the best. Members of the committee will obtain pricing and make a proposal at the next [January 26th] meeting. This needs to be decided and installed soon as the run is inoperable without it.

There was a discussion about opening the Herring Run at the Mill Pond [Route 149] for the taking of herring this year. Requirements and regulations will be researched and the appropriateness of this will be discussed at the next meeting.

Several sections of the river need to be surveyed soon to insure there are no obstructions to the migration of the herring, including the following:

A "blow out" in the section south of Route 28, between it and Prince Cove, which requires immediate maintenance.

The pool immediately south of Route 28, where sand from the Routes 28 & 149 intersection has filled this significantly and possibly obstructing it.

The north side of the Mill Pond where the river enters it, where silting and vegetation growth are an impediment to the flow of the river resulting in branches and other debris causing an obstruction.

Most of the discussion was directed towards getting the work that needs to be done at Middle Pond into some form of project plan with the assignment of tasks to individuals, setting of dates, etc.

The primary focus will be on rebuilding the control gate between the lagoon at Middle Pond and the top of the sluiceway.

With an acceptable management plan for the operation of the Herring Run at Middle Pond in hand, the law suit related to the operation of the Herring Run is in the process of being withdrawn by the initiating parties.

Efforts are underway to replace the old wooden control gate that is adjacent to the control gate at the top of the sluiceway at Middle Pond. This old control gate is not currently used, buts leaks and is in need of replacement.

There was discussion about various items that need to be reviewed and prioritized of the next couple of months: river clean-up; review of the area immediately south of the junction of Routes 149 & 28; the smaller wooden ladder at the Mill Pond needing repair, etc.

Most of the discussion in this meeting centered on the quick resolution of the issues related to the management plan for the operation of the Herring Run at Middle Pond.

The concern is the timely exit of the juvenile herring from the pond as the chances of them surviving the winter there are not very good.

A meeting is scheduled October 18, 2002 with all interested parties with the goal being to be prepare a final draft that can be adopted soon.

This first meeting after a break for Summer was primarily about getting organized and resuming efforts on existing tasks.

The Gulf Of Maine grant will be used to make improvements to the sluiceway. Several methods of approaching that were discussed.

Several members will convene to continue work on the formal management plan for the herring run. There are a few areas that need more precise wording, clarification, etc.

Paperwork will be initiated with the Barnstable Conservation Division for permitting of a couple of small projects related to cleaning and maintaining of the Herring Run.

A cleanup effort has been scheduled for Sunday, September 22, 2002, meeting at 8:00 am at the Liberty Hall Club [map].

There was no date set for the next meeting, it will be called when there is sufficient items to be discussed.

A group of volunteers gathered at 8:00 am Sunday morning at the Liberty Hall Club for a this cleanup project.

Splitting into two crews, one comprised of Kevin Galvin, Mick Mikols, Charlie Thifault and Keith Williams [Keith is from the Barnstable Division of Natural Resource] worked in the area of the river between the abandoned Cranberry bog along River Road to where the river crosses River Road itself and the other crew, comprised of Al Baker, Carolyn Garbutt, Donna Larson and Jane Zulkywicz, worked in the area above Rosa Lane.

A large quantity of debris was removed [we found things like railroad ties, submerged logs, plastic pipes, blocks of Styrofoam, pieces of boats] as well as trees, vines, roots etc. This cleaning both enhanced the flow of the river itself and removed obstacles to the migration of the herring.

The trees that have fallen across the river are the most important things to be removed as they snag other things flowing downstream creating a blockage. This blockage causes the water to be diverted from its natural course which then undermines the banks of the river. These undermined areas eventually cave in, washing large quantities of soil and vegetation into the river, which in turn either falls out as sediment or causes additional blockages, creating even more problems downstream and in the Mill Pond and the Three Bays areas.

The committee would like to thank the four Liberty Hall Club members as well as the other citizens of the Village who pitched in, with special thanks to Keith Williams who put in yeoman's service running the power trimming equipment.

Still, a lot more needs to be done to get the river in good shape and to maintain it that way on an on-going basis. If you'd like to help out in the future just click here to find out how you can volunteer your time.

Note: We are happy to report that the water flowing in the river is as clear as can be and that numerous trout were spotted as well!

The grant application for improvements to the Middle Pond area of the Herring Run (initiated by Ed Schwarm) was approved for the amount of $20,000. The committee applauds Ed for his excellent contribution of time, effort and expense to secure this grant.

A river clean-up effort will be organized for Sunday, June 23, 2002. Several members of the committee will contact those who have in the past indicated that they would volunteer their time.

A discussion centered on the release of juveniles for Middle Pond, and it was agreed that the Barnstable Natural Resources Division shall be responsible for monitoring the situation and controlling the out-bound migration.

Documentation about the land transactions related to abutters to the sluiceway at Middle Pond were obtained as well as maps from the town's Engineering Department. These will be studied and researched to insure that the committee properly understand its rights for access to the sluiceway.

No meeting is scheduled for the summer, with the next meeting to be held in September [on a date to be determined].

The herring started migrating April 10, 2002 and have been very active. Those with knowledge of runs in prior years are pleased with the volume. However, the sluiceway at Middle Pond (according to Charlie Thifault) is "barely operating" to minimize the draw down of water from Middle Pond.

The grant application for improvements to the Middle Pond area of the Herring Run (initiated by Ed Schwarm) is advancing. It is now in Washington, DC and Ed has received requests for additional documentation, questions, etc. This request is for approximately $50,000.

The committee will examine the possibility of allowing the taking of herring in the Spring 2003 season. This was suspended several years ago and it was felt that perhaps the population has rebuilt itself to levels where it could resume. Some members of the committee viewed the Mashpee Herring Run on Saturday April 20. It operates under the control of the Harbormaster, is open only certain times and days of the week, with wardens present during those hours of operation.

Steps will be taken to organize volunteers for the cleanup of the Marstons Mills river from Route 28 and up. The area beneath Route 28 is maintained by Barnstable's Natural Resources Division.

The section of the river south of and immediately adjacent to Route 28 is in need of some work which should probably be done this year if possible. Prior roadway construction in the area as well as street runoff have resulted in the pool located in that area to become partially filled. It was agreed that the Liberty Hall Club should be the body that works with the Barnstable Conservation Division for their approval of the project.

The Marstons Mills River Committee has met 3-4 times over the winter of 2001/2002. While specific notes of each session are not available at this time, the general thrust of those meetings was oriented towards defining the scope and objectives of the committee, getting the proper parties involved, approvals for minor immediate actions required for the Spring 2002 migration, initiation of grant applications, etc.