Committee continues algae, cyanobacteria control efforts at Nashawannuck Pond

A look at a prior year’s efforts of the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee’s algae and cyanobacteria control project.
Photo credit: The Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee

EASTHAMPTON — One group in Easthampton is continuing to take the necessary steps to protect a coveted body of water in the city.

In an effort to control algae and cyanobacteria on Nashawannuck Pond, the pond’s Steering Committee will fill various spots around the pond with barley straw bags on Saturday, April 18.

In recent years, lakes and ponds throughout the country have experienced increased occurrences of algae blooms. These blooms are a result of warmer climate temperatures that particularly affect shallower water bodies. Not all, but some of these blooms may contain cyanobacteria, which can be very harmful, causing disruption of aquatic ecosystem services, intoxication of wildlife and a threat to public health.

In summer 2019, the Easthampton Board of Health sent pictures of the Nashawannuck Pond to the state Board of Health with the belief that they had a visual indication of cyanobacteria in the pond. The following year, the visual indication returned, and as an accepted protocol with the Board of Health, the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee took samples and sent them to Northeast Laboratory in Connecticut for testing. The test came back positive for cyanobacteria.

“We had never had it, we didn’t know anything about it, all of a sudden it was posted by the Board of Health, so we had to figure it out, and we did,” explained Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee member Beth Tiffany.

After hearing from a concerned resident, the Steering Committee and volunteers began using Barley straw to deter this issue in 2022 after learning more about its impact against cyanobacteria. It has been found that barley straw, as it decomposes in certain waterbodies, will release a non-harmful agent that will prevent these blooms from occurring.

More specifically, as the barley straw decomposes under aerobic conditions, it releases a steady flow of molecules that prevent the growth or division of single-cell photosynthetic organisms, including many types of cyanobacteria and some green algae. Some headway has been made with this process, according to Tiffany, who said the pond hasn’t had the same visual indications of the bacteria that it had in the past.
“We can’t say that it’s absolutely positively the reason, but it certainly is hopeful,” added Tiffany.

To place the barley straw into the pond, the committee stuffs onion or potato bags with barley and places six bags at each of the 25 marked locations around the pond. Although the process has evolved over the last few years, the Steering Committee plans to get another 150 bags out in the pond on April 18.

Tiffany said it’s great to see how this effort has gone since 2022, and each time they gear up for another run, it’s been refreshing to see the public support through volunteer opportunities.

“I think it is great because we always are concerned about what we do at the pond, and at first, we were concerned that people would be like, ‘what are you doing, what are you putting in there?’ Not having any knowledge of it, understandably. So, we did a lot of education around that, and now we put it out annually, and it brings the community together. I was really happy when I got the email saying all the [volunteer] spots are filled,” she added.

Tiffany said those looking to get involved with volunteer work through the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee can sign up for its newsletter by visiting nashawannuckpond.org. Residents can also go there to learn more about the pond and the restoration and conservation work around it.