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Write Ahead, Wellesley

An hour in a Wellesley water garden—we take a ride on the brand-new Morses Pond weed harvester

August 24, 2023 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

By far the most fun we had in town over the summer was riding shotgun on the Town of Wellesley’s brand-new $350k weed harvester as it made its way around Morses Pond. The massive diesel-run watercraft, purchased with  Community Preservation Act funds, has replaced the antique workhorse the town has coaxed along for years.

The new, bright-orange pond-worthy equipment is doing what the old harvester could no longer manage—8-10 hours work days, 6 days per week, May through September, harvesting milfoil, fanwort, duckweed, and more from the dammed pond. “If we didn’t weed it, the shallow parts would become eutrophic. The pond would eventually turn back to what it was, which was essentially a wetlands,” Cricket Vlass, superintendent of the Park and Tree Division said as we tooled around the 104-acre body of water.

The harvester isn’t exactly whisper-quiet, so you’d think that perhaps the residents of the homes on and near the pond might register noise complaints. Instead, they basically said, “Bring it.” A couple of years ago the neighbors and other pond-lovers raised their voices in a petition to all but beg for a new, bigger harvester to preserve what they called “a jewel at the heart of Wellesley’s natural resources.”

Ben Smith from the Park and Tree Division was at the wheel, as he has been all summer. I didn’t have to call him Captain Smith, though. Remarkably, no special licensing is needed to drive a weed harvester. He does, however, hold a commercial license and a Class A license to operate the truck he drives to the RDF for dumping the weeds.

Morses Pond, weed harvester, Wellesley
Cricket Vlass (left) and Ben Smith on the bridge of the new weed harvester.

There are two harvester operators who ply the mighty waters of Morses Pond. Smith on the day I was there got to drive the shiny, new, stainless steel one. Mike Chapman was at the helm of a smaller, older harvester. A third harvester, the Blue Monster, is on its way to retirement. Days follow a familiar loop during weed season. Smith and Chapman each work on one of the pond’s seven zones, rotating zones every couple of weeks. As they move the vehicles around the pond, plants are cut at their base. “They don’t get pulled up by the roots,” Vlass said. “It’s like mowing a lawn underwater.” The weeds make their way up a conveyer belt and land in a holding area. Some small fish get scooped up, too, along with the occasional turtle. The turtles get rescued and thrown back. The fish…don’t.

Once the holding area is full, the weed harvesters are beached on the the commuter rail side of the pond, near the playground area (but at a safe distance). From there, the harvester spits its load into a dumpster, which is then transported via truck to the RDF. There, the RDF takes over and the weeds are eventually composted.

Morses Pond, weed harvester, Wellesley
The Morses Pond weed harvesting work site is on the east side of the pond, where the commuter rail runs. The playground area (not pictured) is at a safe distance to the left.

“When we bring this into the RDF, we weigh the container,” Smith said. “It’s not uncommon for us to bring in 6-7 thousand pounds of weeds per load.” He and Chapman typically bring in a load or two per day. Then it’s back to the pond for more weed-pulling. Sisyphus comes to mind. Unlike the hapless mortal tasked with pushing a rock uphill, only to see it roll down again, Smith keeps himself entertained and educated while he’s on the job. Audiobooks, music, and podcasts help pass the time.

About the Blue Monster, I was gently told, “She’ll be going somewhere very soon” to “maybe somebody with some interesting skills. It’s going to have to be somebody who has a lot of steel available to them, a lot of welding experience.” It felt a little like when your family says that wholly unsuitable stray dog you brought home would be going to live a great life on a farm in the country.

Morses Pond, old weed harvester
Morses Pond, the Blue Monster

More garden writing

An hour in a Wellesley garden—Boulder Brook Reservation meadows

An hour in a Wellesley garden—Fuller Brook Park

An hour in a Wellesley garden—a country estate


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Environment, Gardens, Morses Pond

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Wellesley’s Morses Pond season to end August 20

August 19, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Morses Pond season ends Sunday, Aug. 20. Starting on Monday, Aug. 21, the beach will be swim at your own risk. The DPW will be installing all the appropriate signage stating as such. This signage will remain in place through the year.

morses pond lifeguard chair
Morses Pond will be swim at your own risk starting Aug. 21.

The guardhouse will be closed for the season, so there is no access to restrooms or any amenities.

Police will put signage in the Morses Pond parking lot stating “SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK”.

There will be a staff member to open and close the gate at the top of turner road Monday, Aug. 21-Mon., Sept. 4. The gate will be open at 9am and closed at 7:30 pm.

Thank you lifeguards and staff for a wonderful season.

Filed Under: Morses Pond

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Morses Pond in Wellesley back open after water tests clean

August 12, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Morses Pond is officially back open after the most recent water samples determined that the water is clean for swimming and boating.

morses pond lifeguard chair

Water samples tested last week showed extremely high levels of coliform, which meant that there may have been intestinal parasites and pathogens in the water that could have caused health problems.

Morses Pond is tested every week for coliform.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Wellesley Health Department at 781-235-0135.

Filed Under: Health, Morses Pond

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Morses Pond Beach in Wellesley closed due to high bacteria levels

August 10, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Morses Pond beach is closed on Thursday, August 10 due to high levels of bacteria in the water. 

morses pond kayak
Morses Pond. July 2021

Water samples tested this week show extremely high levels of coliform. These results mean that there may be intestinal parasites and pathogens in pond water that could cause health problems.

Morses Pond is tested every week for coliform; this is the first test this summer that the pond failed. Health officials say the cause of the failed result is likely due to the heavy rains and flooding that Wellesley experienced this week.

Further water testing will be conducted to help determine if the beach can reopen for the remainder of this season. Morses Pond  beach is scheduled to stay open until Sunday, August 20.

Swimming in other areas of the pond is discouraged. Pet owners should try to keep dogs out of the water.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Wellesley Health Department at 781-235-0135.

Filed Under: Environment, Health, Morses Pond

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The future of Morses Pond discussed

August 3, 2023 by Bob Brown 3 Comments

The Wellesley Recreation Commission this week held a public hearing (see Wellesley Media recording) to share the latest on plans for redeveloping the Morses Pond beachfront area, including new bathhouse and administrative buildings on the opposite side of the beach.

A plan has been under discussion since 2018, with meetings between the town’s design/engineering/architect partners and the Select Board, Natural Resources Commission, the Rec Commission and the public taking place along the way. The pandemic didn’t exactly speed up the process of finalizing an associated feasibility and design study. But the town’s partners said they are now looking to finalize a report for the town by year-end if their design is approved soon.

Assuming that happens, the Rec Commission’s Mark Wolfson said that the hope is to get approval for the engineering and design phase at Annual Town Meeting in the spring, and then get approval for the project itself a year later. Rec Commission members are hopeful that the Community Preservation Committee will come through with much of the funding, based on its favorable reception to the general plan, with the town covering the rest.

Morses Pond beach summer

Johnathan Law with engineering & design firm Weston & Sampson shared an update on the master plan for this project introduced in 2021, and acknowledged that due to rising construction, materials, and labor costs, the grand vision has been scaled back. “We can deliver a great project, but at the same time try to make it as cost efficient as possible,” he said, noting the original project plan would cost about $7.6 million.

Some $1 million in elements cut from the original plan would include a boardwalk along Ice Pond, a wood deck near the beach, and an exercise equipment area (many of these elements could be added back later if funding became available). Also shelved are parking lot changes that could be moot anyway due to the possibility of pickleball courts heading to that space (nothing firm here).

Retained are designs to make the Morses Pond beachfront and amenities more accessible to anyone, and existing features such as the swing set will remain.

Site work estimates have been cut from nearly $4 million to more like $2.5 million for additional savings.

Architect Zac Cardwell from the firm of Maryann Thompson dove into the look and feel of the planned changes, including new buildings made from natural materials—possibly timber frame—and featuring lots of windows (for eyes on the beach, for safety) and shade areas to help patrons get out of the sun. Sustainability boxes have been checked as well. The architecture firm has worked on other local beach projects, including the bathhouse at Walden Pond in Concord.

Questions from residents at the meeting included those related to sun protection during different times of the day, potential loss of view based on tree plantings, traffic safety on a new access road, availability of bike racks, the possible use of technology to ease patron check-ins, and availability of lockers for keeping personal items secured.

morses pond plan
Revised Morses Pond beach redevelopment plan presented at Rec Commission meeting

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Filed Under: Morses Pond

Dedham Country Day School

Wellesley public hearing to focus on Morses Pond Beach & Bath House

July 26, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

On Monday, July 31 at 6 PM the Wellesley Recreation Department will be holding a public hearing to update the community on the most current Feasibility & Design Study for the Morses Pond Beach & Bath House.

Residents are invited to learn more about the project to date, ask questions, and give feedback. The meeting will take place via Zoom; please email recreation@wellesleyma.gov to share comments in advance or request to speak during the meeting, or the get the Zoom link.


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Government, Morses Pond

Wellesley Swim

Morses Pond beach in Wellesley to open June 5

May 25, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Recreation Department says Morses Pond beach will officially open—without lifeguards, so swim at your own risk—Mon., June 5-Sun., June 25, 10am-dusk. During those dates, the yellow gate at Turner Road will be monitored by Recreation staff, and parking at Morses Pond will be limited to Wellesley residents only. (Non-residents can walk, run, or bike in.)

Morses Pond, Wellesley
Morses Pond, Wellesley

On Mon., June 26-Sun., August 20, 10am-5pm,  the beach and pond will fully open for the season, with lifeguards on duty.

The price of admission

  • Family passes for residents—$250 (that rate includes 5 free day passes for the season)
  • Adult pass (residents)—$125
  • Senior/child under 16 (residents)—$60
  • Daily passes—$10 per person (proof of residency is required)

Non-residents

  • Season pass adults/seniors—$190
  • $90 per child (under age 16)
  • No daily passes available

Contact the Recreation Department for information at 781-235-2370.

MORE

Cold waters of Morses Pond no deterrent to those who plunged for Elodie


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Filed Under: Entertainment, Kids, Morses Pond, Outdoors

For some, 2022 ends, 2023 starts at Morses Pond in Wellesley

January 1, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The unseasonably warm weather made for a spooky, foggy last day of 2022, as captured in this photo of Morses Pond by Priscilla Messing.

Morses Pond fog
Photo by Priscilla Messing, who wrote: “With the temperatures in the 50’s and the moisture settling in over Morses Pond the foggy air made the pond look almost ghost like. It’s the end of 2022!”

 

On new year’s day, a hardy crew started the morning with a run and a good number of them took a dip in Morses Pond to celebrate the arrival of 2023.

new year's runners

new year's dippers
Photos by Sean Milano, who wrote: “Warm temps brought a record crowd for today’s event. Clearly, the fun doesn’t end with New Year’s Eve!”

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Filed Under: Morses Pond

Wellesley’s plan for Morses Pond beach this summer: Return of the lifeguards

May 14, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

A new year, a new Morses Pond beach plan. Wellesley’s Recreation Department has had to be creative over the past couple of years during the pandemic, putting into place a reservation system and other protocols to keep the beach safe and manageable, and this year it’s got another new plan in light of current public health conditions.

The town’s Recreation Commission held several public meetings to gather input from the public on how the beach might be run this season.

The official beach opening will start on June 6 with open swim, no lifeguards, and no docks. The yellow gate at Turner Road will be monitored by Recreation staff, and only residents will be allowed to park in the lot (non-residents can walk, run, or bike in).

When Wellesley Public Schools let out in mid-June, and trained lifeguards become available, the beach will convert to member use with lifeguards on duty. Last year the beach operated without lifeguards. This year the Rec Department has about a dozen lifeguards signed on—it’s been a challenge, because some past Morses Pond lifeguards have moved on to jobs at pools, while a pipeline of new lifeguards has been blocked by a lack of courses being available during the pandemic. Recreation Department Director Matt Chin referred to the lifeguard shortage as “a nationwide issue,” when he briefed us on the Morses Pond plan.

But the Rec Department has a plan in place to train lifeguards and operate safely with the ones it has, and laid those plans out during the May 5 Recreation Commission meeting (starting at about 20 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording). The department even got another application from a potential lifeguard during that meeting.

The price for a membership is going up this season, as is the daily rate for residents (non-residents can secure a season pass, but not daily passes). Family passes for residents will be $250 (up from $170 in 2019) and $375 for non-residents, with individual adult passes for residents at $125 and individual child/senior passes at $60. Residents can also pay $10 per person for a daily entry. Look for membership registration information soon on the Wellesley Rec site (there are no plans for a discount super sale this time around).

The season is slated to end Aug. 21, as lifeguards will be heading back to school, etc. around then. The beach will return to the open swim model then, with park rangers monitoring the area until at least through Labor Day weekend.

The Recreation Commission has had a variety of beach operation models to review over the past few years, and one goal this year is to try to run the beach at least around a break-even level. In years before the pandemic it would sometimes run at a $30K-$50K loss, with other programs throughout the year making up the difference.

Morses Pond, Wellesley
Morses Pond, Wellesley

 

More: Morses Pond guided trail walk, May 15, 2022, 9-10am


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Help wanted: Wellesley lifeguards for Summer 2022

April 7, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

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