Help Preserve Morses Pond

  1. The Problem
  2. The Solution

All ponds have a predictable life-cycle and left untouched would eventually evolve into wetland and ultimately dry land over time. Human actions affect this evolution by speeding up or slowing down the process. We all want to slow it down, right? Two categories of human pollution hasten the evolution of a pond system: point-source pollution and non-point source pollution. Point source pollution is easy to identify; it is delivered to a waterway via pipe or channel—you can see it. Many years ago, it was common for residents and factories to use ponds and rivers as personal trashcans. The Clean Water Act has been slowly putting an end to point source pollution, but the threats to Morses pond haven't entirely disappeared. Morses now faces much more subtle pollution threats—non-point sources. The pond is the collection point for all of the water that flows within the watershed. A non-point source comes from the land. The number one cause of poor water quality in Morses Pond is excess plant food. Lawn fertilizer and stormwater runoff provide a continuous source of excess food to the pond. Everything we do to the land within a watershed affects the body of water at the bottom—how we wash our cars, how we take care of our lawns, how we clean our streets. 

The good news is that with a little knowledge, we can work together to minimize non-point source pollution on our pond. Residents can help keep the pond healthy and the tap water clean. You may be shocked to learn that some seemingly insignificant actions can have significant impacts to the watershed. A few minor adjustments in washing your car and caring for your lawn can make leaps in improving the health of the watershed. If every land-owner in the watershed minimized or eliminated their contribution of un-intended plant food, water quality in the pond would improve and the cost of water supply services and pond management would decrease.