About

Save Mashpee Wakeby Pond Alliance
Our Charter

The Save Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Alliance is a coalition of concerned citizens who love
Mashpee-Wakeby Pond and are determined to ensure its preservation, protection and
enhancement as a recreational and economic focal point for our community.

We have witnessed significant degradation of the Pond due to human activity in recent years,
including several cyanobacteria algae bloom events, two of which caused health officials to
close the Pond for a period of time. This is just the tip of the iceberg – if we don’t take action
NOW!  We cannot and will not let our pond degrade any further and must restore it to its
former glory so that future generations can fully enjoy its bounties for years to come.

Our Urgent Agenda(Revised November 2021)

Our Pond needs help NOW! We call on all full- and part-time residents of Sandwich and
Mashpee to join us in committing to this urgent and critical action agenda:

1. Recruit Members, Build Awareness, and Motivate Action.
To establish momentum for change, we seek to educate residents and friends of the Pond about the issues
threatening the Pond’s health and why these things are happening. Most importantly,
we want all residents to understand what they can do – today and in the future – to
help address these concerns.

2. Drive the Rapid Implementation of a Diagnostic Study of the Pond.
Mashpee has authorized the funding of a diagnostic study to assess the specific causes of the Pond’s
declining health, which is critical so that resources and energies can be appropriately
targeted toward effective solutions. We are pleased that our efforts and those of many
other groups helped make this to happen. We must now ensure that the study happens
as expediently as possible.

3. Ensure the Expedient Sewer Conversion in Areas Close to the Pond.
We are thrilled that Mashpee has shifted its sewer conversion plan to prioritize pond regions at the top
of the watershed. We still have much work to do to ensure the many complex issues
that must be addressed in this plan are done so in an efficient and effective manner.
We also must now focus our efforts to influence Sandwich to create their sewering plan
with the same level of urgency, establishing a coordinated plan between both towns.

4. Seek Solutions to Reduce Stormwater Runoff into the Pond.
Excess nutrients and other pollutants flow into the Pond from nearby roads and lawns during major rainstorms.
We must identify the specific areas of greatest concern and develop solutions to reduce the runoff.

5. Protect Large Parcels of Undeveloped Land on the Lake.
One of the unique features of the Pond is the significant amount of undeveloped land on its shores.
We must keep a watchful eye on the ownership of these properties and align with other like-minded
groups to ensure that they remain undeveloped.

6. Drive for Action on the Bog.
A cranberry bog is suspected to be a contributor to excess nutrients in the Wakeby side of the Pond.
While we await the results of the diagnostic study to validate this belief, there are steps we can take now
to ensure we are in the best position possible to take decisive action once the study is complete.

7. Establish Partnerships with Other Aligned Entities.
We cannot do this alone.
Success will require that we join forces with elected officials, other pond associations,
and the many organizations who have been working to save waterways throughout Cape Cod
for many years. We are new to this game but have so far been effective and look
forward to exponentially expand our effectiveness and our impact through productive
partnerships with these groups.

8. Engage our Elected Officials in Town, State and Federal Governments to Support our Efforts.
The issues affecting the Pond are mostly local in nature, but some will ultimately
involve state and/or federal jurisdictions. The boat ramp, for example, is state property,
as is the Pond itself. We will, therefore, need to advocate with our representatives to
get behind our efforts and provide appropriate funding when needed.