It’s a popular question around my house and perhaps yours. The answer, unfortunately, is not until one week from Monday, June 10.
So when do Crystal Lake & Gath Pool open?
by Greg Reibman | Jun 1, 2013 | Newton | 7 comments
Crazy Divers: Men be like...
drivers man be like
This current heat and the lack of clouds is the perfect recipe for algae blooms. Some communities are anticipating this, using treatments ahead of the swim season. Anyone know if we have any similar plans?
Anyone know if the police are camping out by the cove? Now we can start the swim-at-your-own-risk debate all over again. (Please not.)
@Julia,
I imagine the Police only go there when notified that people are breaking the law….again.
@Hoss. Friends of Crystal Lake and the Conservancy made a presentation on these items at the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council’s annual community meeting earlier this month. They described several preventive and remedial measures that are planned to eliminate or reduce the impacts from algae bloom at the lake including a major effort to work with nearby homeowners to curtail runoff from fertilizers and pesticides. They think it’s likely that the problem will not be as severe this year as last because this past winter was so much colder.
An interesting aside. I asked if climate change was the main reason the Lake no longer freezes thoroughly enough for winter ice skating. It’s probably one factor, but the main one is that the lake is much shallower now than it was even 30 years ago because of the continual runoff of sand, soil and silt from the nearby land. It seems deep lakes and great ponds freeze more thoroughly than shallow ones.
BOB BURKE — Take a look at what has been done in Andover and Pembrook (MA) this year as examples (available w a Google search). Those authorities are saying that “blue-green” algae feeds on pollutants that float. I’m not sure what effect freezing has on pollutants, but I thought fresh water freezes from the surface whereas salt water freezes below the surface. Were any of the preventative/remedial measures new this year? (Avoiding issues of prior years?)
Actually Mr Burke, my deeper question is has Newton fed anything new in the pond that might be a concern for pond health or those that study it.
Hello Hoss: Check out the Crystal Lake Conservancy’s website. This will be much better than me trying to summarize the sometimes complicated ins and outs of this problem. They have a special 2012 report on water quality testing and issues involving adjacent neighbors and the City. They clearly believe that the front line for all of this is the cluster of homes around the Lake and homes that are located anywhere close by where runoff could enter the Lake.