Nature 15 of the Best Cape Cod Kettle Ponds Throughout the island there are hundreds Cape Cod kettle ponds, so named because these round bodies of water resemble tea kettles. . A map of the Capes groundwater reveals contourschanges in elevation that resemble the irregular surface of the land, although they are not directly related to surface contours. Youll find the pond by taking Route 130 to Snake Pond Road. It typically took up to two weeks of cold weather to produce harvestable pond ice. Yasmin Amer ReporterYasmin Amer is a business reporter for WBUR. The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs past part of the pond, as well. Box 2030 Truro, MA 02666 (508) 349-7004Truro Town Hall - Hours of Operation:Monday - Remote Office hours: 8:00 am-4:00 pm | Tuesday - Friday In-person Office hours: 8:00 am-4:00 pmPublic Records Access Officer - rao@truro-ma.govWebsite Photography by Katy WardStaff DirectoryAbout Truro | Departments | Boards & Committees | ResourcesDisclaimer | Government Websites by CivicPlus, Walsh Property Community Planning Committee, Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project, Conservation Policies, Procedures, & Regulations, StormSmart Coasts: Information on Shoreline Stabilization Techniques to Help Reduce Erosion & Storm Damage, The Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act: How it Protects Our Wetlands, Floodplains & Riverfront Areas. While there has been some reduction in the pollutant-causing activities, mercury persists. A notable number of terrestrial eastern box turtles can be found on Cape Cod as well. With the country now at war, in January 1942 the newspaper reported nostalgically on the activities at South Dennis: During the recent cold spell young folks enjoyed skating on the old Creek especially at night when the bonfires blazed. We recently visited Snow Pond, a kettle pond in Truro, with Stephen Smith, a plant ecologist at the Cape Cod National Seashore. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. If these relatively pristine, mostly pretty healthy, robust ecosystems are showing such changes, then in my mind that's kind of worrisome. Sitting in Wellfleet is Gull Pond, a scenic water body surrounded by pine trees. With any luck, 75 percent of the ice might survive into the warmer months to preserve food and to chill summer drinks. The ROV captured fascinating images of the creatures that make their home in these dark and deep environments. You can keep your chlorine-infused swimming pools and crowded ocean beaches. Recent studies have investigated the effect of climate change on groundwater and surface-water, sources of water to ponds, streams, coastal areas, and public-supply wells, as well as the transport of discharge of nitrogen from wastewater. The turn of the 20th century saw a continued interest in winter activities. Chris LeBlanc photo If you prefer swimming in natural pools of water like I do, you'll make it your mission to swim in as many of Cape Cod's kettle ponds as possible. So what are you seeing in these ponds that you think is attributable to climate change? Lucy Vivante has written some notes on the recent history of these beautiful ponds. Something about swimming this way, in a deep, kettle-shaped pool designed by nature, without stripes on the bottom to guide me or walls to constrain me, makes me happy to the core. As for some of the out of reach ponds, Dyer Pond is near the top of the list. (For the record, Im a fan of sharks and scuba dive with them frequently. Youll also need a freshwater fishing permit if you plan to fish while youre there. The research expedition will help scientists to better understand the unique biological, ecological, and geological processes occurring in the deep-sea canyons. In some cases, they were used to transport cargo, such as firewood across Long Pond in Harwich. These include inter-dunal wetlands, bogs, kettle ponds, and tidally restricted marshes. These special habitats provide refuge for a number of species including 12 different types of amphibians. The beach has a boat launch and public washrooms, as well. The holes left behind ultimately flooded with ground and rain water, leaving the freshwater ponds we have today. The pond includes a public landing off Route 124. A girl flies through the air on a rope swing at Flax Pond. August 2, 2019 Long Pond in Brewster Ponds and Lakes on Cape Cod While many think of the Cape for our pristine beaches, we also have over 1,000 ponds and lakes covering nearly 11,000 acres. His books include "Cape Cod Collected and "Cape Odd. He has written for the Barnstable Patriot, its annual Cape Cod history supplement "Summerscape," and The Register newspaper. Many people flock to Cape Cod for its beaches during the summer season, but the region's kettle ponds may just be among its best kept secrets. Our Favorite Kettle Ponds on the Cape. This happened more than 15,000 years ago, and the kettles are still there. Youll find Long Pond at the end of a windy road in Wellfleet. Beyond the estuaries and saltmarshes, the Atlantic Ocean also teems with life just off the coast. Sea level rise really affecting our salt marshes, warming temperatures are affecting our ponds and their thermal structure, and many other things associated with those types of changes. Access to this pond means taking a hidden dirt road thats just off Old Queen Anne Road in Chatham. Lucas Miller describes how glaciers formed the ponds about 10,000 years ago and focuses on the physical geography. We have some state-listed rare plant species that make these kettle ponds a special place in the landscape in the Northeast. Because a majority of the Read More, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Robert Paul Properties, Coast Guard Beach Named Top 10 Beach in Nation, Tips for Experiencing Art and Culture on Cape Cod. October, 2021 Pam LeBlanc wades into Great Pond in Wellfleet, a kettle pond on Cape Cod. It passes through our ponds on its way to the ocean. Pilgrim Lake in Orleans is a favorite fishing location because it is a decent size, quiet, and full of small bays. Ice blocks remained in some areas and, over time, left depressions in the ground that eventually reached the depth of the water table. There's about a thousand of these kettle ponds actually throughout Cape Cod. Work at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center focuses on six key topic areas: Coastal and Shelf Geology, Sediment Transport, Energy and Geohazards, Environmental Geoscience, Sea-Floor Mapping, Information Science. Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, are ancient organisms responsible for creating the first oxygen on the earth. Salt marshes filter out excess nutrients and provide habitat for fish, shellfish, and birds. This water connection is why our ponds are called windows on our aquifer.. The lake has a small beach, as well, should you want to go for a swim. Snake Pond in Sandwich has an extensive beach that surrounds much of the water body, with a parking area found on its south shore. Depressions in the outwash plain are called kettle holes. On the south end of Mashpee Pond is Attaquin Park, which features a large beach, along with a playground and boat ramp, while there is a smaller, quieter beach at the south end of Wakeby Pond. . Their work is not just limited to Massachusetts or New England but spans the nation. One is kind of a good news story: They're recovering from acid rain, so our ponds are becoming less acidic and that's because rain water is becoming less acidic because air pollution regulation has dramatically reduced concentrations of nitrates and sulfates that caused this acidity in the '80s and '90s. Warmer temperatures with excessive nutrients contribute to toxic blooms (also called Harmful Algal Blooms [HABs]) that make swimming and other contact dangerous. When the shoreline becomes exposed, a coastal plain pond plant community may thrive if it is not trampled or the shoreline otherwise altered by beach fill or structures. Subscribe to Austin Travels to get updates, news and travel tips in your inbox. Within the Cape Cod National Seashore there are 20 named kettle ponds. They're highly influenced by atmospheric conditions, namely precipitation and the general climate or weather conditions. The grasslands are also a result of past disturbances by either settlers or fires. So like mid 70s Fahrenheitat the top, and the bottom would be how cold? These are called kettle ponds, in fact Wellfleet and Truro have about 20 of them just waiting to be explored. They are extremely deep, almost quarry-like lakes gouged out eons ago by glaciers. There are also some guided kayak tours that will take you to the ponds.Also remember, if you do plan on parking at any of the ponds that do happen to have a parking lot, youll need a sticker from late June through Labor Day. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. It is a pleasing sight to see them on the pond when the ice is smooth, going like meteors.. Kettle ponds are formed when the kettle holes discussed earlier are deep enough to intersect with the water table, thereby flooding the depression and creating a pond or lake. There has been a dramatic change in the temperature structure from top to bottom. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. I'm not sure at this point that nature is going to be able to correct a lot of things. While its understandable that Cape Cod is known for its oceanfront beaches and attractions, you dont have to spend the day on the seashore to enjoy the water. 02667. While the ocean gets all the glory, and with good reason, as Cape Cod National Seashore, Corporation Beach, and West Dennis Beach are unquestionably some of the most stunning locations on the countrys east coast, there are other beaches in the area that should receive a little more attention. Grews Pond in Falmouth is well-known because it is home to Goodwill Park, a green space with a playground and picnic areas. The groundwater that fills these ponds is the same water we use for our drinking water and irrigation. And local ponds and lakes were busy spots for a variety of wintertime activities, ranging from ice fishing and ice harvesting to ice skating and ice boating. If you want to do some exploring, Nickerson State Park in Brewster is home to several kettle ponds. These kettle hole lakes and ponds have little to no surface-water inflows or outflows, and receive all of their hydrologic inputs from groundwater and precipitation. Thank you! They range in size from small fishing holes to larger boating ponds. So these ponds are isolated bodies of water, they're like bowls of soup sitting in the landscape. Since parking is limited, youll likely have to walk or bike to get there.One of the most popular kettle ponds with families is called Long Pond in Wellfleet. Kettle ponds are formed when the kettle holes discussed earlier are deep enough to intersect with the water table, thereby flooding the depression and creating a pond or lake. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Photo courtesy of Harwich Historical Society. 2023 Cape Cod Life Publications. Rising sea levels pushed the outer Cape Cod freshwater lens upward, flooding the kettle holes to form lakes and ponds. All of the drinking water, and most of the freshwater for agricultural, industrial, and domestic purposes on the peninsula comes from groundwater. The 3rd annual WES Fest! Pam LeBlanc wades into Sheep Pond. Fallen trees and overhanging shrubs give shade, help moderate water temperature in summer months, and provide cover for fish and sunning spots for turtles. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The bottom is sandy, and the water is refreshingly clean and cold, as if youre standing next to a spring. In all, about a thousand kettle ponds pockmark the Cape, and if . Essentially, an ice boat was a sailboat designed like a sleigh, with a sail to capture the breezes and with runners to glide the craft across the ice. Im visiting a friend who has a family home midway up the Cape this week, and as I always do when I visit, Im making it a point to take a dip in as many kettle ponds as possible. As you can see, Cape Cod has a diverse set of ponds from which to choose, so it doesnt matter if youre looking for a lively time for the family or a relaxing place to get away from the crowds, you can find it here. Its also nice to know that the burgeoning local population of great white sharks, drawn to Cape Cod by the exploding population of seals, never visits these inland ponds. Our federal tax ID number is 04-2462788. For questions regarding theirprocesses, please call the NPS Water Quality Lab at 508-487-3262 x0504. There is a dock in the water, and the pond is frequented by kayaks, making it a pretty active location. In the 1930s there was a renewal of ice boating at Long Pond in Harwich, which continued into the 1940s. Seymour Pond sits in the area between Brewster and Harwich and enjoys a quiet, serene environment. Some of our favorite kettle ponds offer a refreshing alternative to fighting the big crowds for a spot on the sand at some of the regions most popular beaches. The ice was packed right up to the peak of the building and insulated with sawdust or salt hay to reduce melting. Seven swimming holes to splash in around Austin. Box 1439 Mashpee, MA 02649. An official website of the United States government. How Thoreau Helped Make Walden Pond One Of The Best Places To Study Climate Change In The U.S. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. By looking at maps and taking a drive around Cape Cod, you might even find a local favorite that most visitors wont have the chance to experience. These special habitats provide refuge for a number of species including 12 different types of amphibians. APCC has developed a cyanobacteria-monitoring protocol with the assistance of scientists from University of New Hampshire and the Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative. Geologically, these ponds and lakes are a product of glacial movement; depressions left in the land surface that filled with groundwater after the glaciers retreated. Now they're saying the Cape's other waterways, especially its hundreds of kettle ponds, are also affected. Yasmin Amer A kettle pond shoreline in the Cape Cod National Seashore (Courtesy CCNS) This article is more than 5 years old. So these national parks were put in place because they're really special, kind of jewels within the country. It also includes a small beach and a shade-covered picnic area.Other ponds popular with families include Gull Pond and Ryder Pond, where the frogs might just outnumber the visitors. Would you say the main theory here is to try to preserve nature, to let nature try to correct what's going on? He worked for Americorps and lived on the National Seashore near Wellfleet on Cape Cod. Pitch pine and scrub oak forests, heath lands, sand plain grasslands, and dunes make up the terrestrial ecosystems. by Paul DiNolo Massachusetts Glacier Ponds The last ice age left Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod the recipients of hundreds of wonderful freshwater ponds, the result of large masses of glacier ice that gouged depressions in the sandy soil and then melted. All of these ecosystems from the oceans to the freshwater ponds and the grasslands provide habitat for over 370 different species of birds. All Boards & CommitteesMinutes & Agendas. Plants that grow on the dunes are uniquely adapted to endure the harsh conditions of their sandy, windy environment. Surrounded by salty ocean water on three-sides, freshwater is a major concern on Cape Cod. Many of these are kettle ponds, created at the end of the last ice age when large blocks of ice formed depressions in the sandy soil and then melted. APCC is working on a rapid assessment program to better inform communities when toxicity is present so the public can be advised about potential health risks. That influences a lot in terms of where algae in the water column reside. The USGS has been researching ground and surface-water on Cape Cod for over 50 years to help inform decision-making regarding this vital resource. You cant park right up next to the pond but its only about a five-minute walk to reach the water. While Cape Cod is well known for its centuries of history, its also a prime location for experiencing art and culture. As a component of the National Park Service's mandate to control exotic vegetation . This is in South Wellfleet, off Route 6. When you think of Cape Cod, you probably have visions of the ocean and its shoreline. Cyanobacteria are commonly found in ponds; however, under certain conditions yet to be fully understood, they can produce toxins that pose health issues to animals and humans. Kettle ponds are scattered across the outer Cape Cod landscape, an area consisting of glacial outwash plains that formed during the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet some 18,000 years ago. Among those species is the remarkable eastern spadefoot toad. Most of these are depressions in the land's surface, created after the glaciers that formed Cape Cod 12,000 years ago retreated to the north. And if we lose some of those then they're kind of gone forever from this part of the world. Chris LeBlanc photo. For more information on this topic, click here: Information on how you can help keep our ponds healthy. The kettle ponds of Wellfleet, never more than 2.5 km. Four men out on the ice during a freeze in the early 1900s. Depressions in the outwash plain are called kettle holes. There are also some guided kayak tours that will take you to the ponds. Colonies of seals can also be found in the summer, both in the ocean and on the shore. You can swim or boat at Long Pond. Theres no legal place to park anywhere near it, and its very much in the midst of the woods. Bu, What's new in Shiner, Texas? Wellfleet Great Pond has a small beach and several access points, while the Eastham version features two parking lots, each with its own beach. If you had a main message to policymakers and the public from your research what would it be? These ponds feed my insatiable desire to swim in natural bodies of water, where strands of aquatic plants tickle my toes, and a fish might nibble my kneecap at any moment. This peninsula in its wintry state becomes a whole other world, like a crystalline ice sculpture created with a salt spray chisel. Deborah Becker Host/ReporterDeborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR. Unlike the ocean, most of the kettle ponds dont have a beach and you have to trudge through the forest to find them. It has implications for the kinds of plants that will germinate, how much of the vegetation will grow under those highly flooded conditions, and the species that will grow. A variety of reptiles are also associated with these freshwater ecosystems. 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Nickerson State Park, a 1900-acre area in Brewster, is full of trout-fishing ponds, including Flax Pond, Cliff Pond, and Higgins Pond. In March 1902, the newspaper reported that at South Harwich Harry Loveland is still confined to the house from an injury received while ice boating. The very next year, in January 1903, Willie Nickerson nearly drowned while riding an ice boat at East Dennis. I visited my son last June. from the oceanside, are among the towns prettiest attractions. I love the adventure of it, and the feeling of getting close to nature. Once the pond ice was thick enough to harvest, a crew assembled to saw it into blocks, which were then pushed ashore to be stored in the icehouse. They were formed when glacier ice melted, resulting in huge holes that then filled up with fresh water. This is in South Wellfleet, off Route 6. That differential has increased significantly in the last few decades. The Capes natural ponds are the result of the glaciers that left this area 18,000 years ago. You can also snag a parking spot at Great Pond, if youre lucky, and take about a 15-minute walk along the dirt trails. The most common feature may be the large to very large boulders scattered about the glacial surface, usually in the moraines or ice contact terraine. Sheep Pond in Brewster is a fun place for fishing and swimming. . He says these kettle ponds may be showing the most visiblesignsof climate change on Cape Cod. We need to manage if we're going to, you know, adhere to our mission of preserving these ecosystems in their natural state for future generations to enjoy. Most ponds, unaltered by development, are ringed by native woody shrubs like buttonbush, high bush blueberry, and winterberry. and mapping the seafloor off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. In the summer, endangered North Atlantic right whales and humpback whales use the waters off the coast of Cape Cod for feeding and as a nursery ground. When in Cape Cod, I head for the kettle ponds, shimmering pools of water formed when huge blocks of ice melted at the end of the last Ice Age, leaving behind depressions that eventually filled with water. Next time youre in Massachusetts in the summer, you should too. Lakes and Ponds. Deborah Becker: Can you describe a kettle pond and what you're doing to monitor them? . Pam LeBlanc he, Ever stay the night in a campervan? These plants have adapted to the Capes kettle ponds, which historically have been low-nutrient, acidic glacial ponds with sand or gravel bottoms. APCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and contributions are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Slow melting of the larger ice blocks left depressions that were deep enough to intersect with the water table. Another great feature is that numerous vacation rentals are located near or even around these ponds, so you wont have to travel far to hit the water this summer. In virtually every pond there is a rising trend of groundwater, and we think what we're seeing there is a direct effect of sea level rise on the hydrology of these ponds. It is said there are 365 ponds and lakes across Cape Codone for each day of the year. Kettle ponds at Cape Cod National Seashore are, in general, characterized by naturally low concentrations of nutrients, high water clarity, low pH, and low buffering capacity. That's happening longer and longer during the season. In February 1901, the Independent stated that at Harwich Port, Skating and ice boating has taken up all the spare time of the young people this past week. Yet, the sport of ice boating was not without its danger. Rising sea levels pushed the outer Cape Cod freshwater lens upward, flooding the kettle holes to form lakes and ponds. You know, we are past the point in many systems where we can just let nature take its course. The kettle ponds of Cape Cod formed 12,000 to 18,000 years ago when the Laurentide ice sheet that once covered the area began its retreat. If you bring a kayak or canoe, you can undoubtedly head to one of the empty beaches on the other side of the pond for an afternoon of relaxation. Sandy Pond in Yarmouth offers swimming, plus a recreation area with tennis courts, a playground, and a basketball court. The holes left behind ultimately flooded with ground and rain water . Wellfleet, In February of that year, the Independent reported, The train arrived with 200 people from Hyannis and way stations to join in the sports, which were various; such as sailing, skating and dancingthe dancing was conducted by Alexanders Band, 3 pieces, which is a voucher for a good time. On one Saturday afternoon there were 27 ice boats on Long Pond, all vying to be the fastest. There are hundreds of ponds to choose from on Cape Cod, offering up space for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Some of our favorite kettle ponds offer a refreshing alternative to fighting the big crowds . You can keep your chlorine-infused swimming pools and crowded ocean beaches. They mark the sites of ice blocks that were left behind by the retreating glacier and then buried by outwash sand and gravel deposits. There used to be less differencebetween surface and bottom water temperatures. Reusing pond names is common on the Cape, as youll find multiple places called Long Pond, Flax Pond, and Round Pond, but what do you expect when there are over 1,000 ponds in such a small area? Kettle ponds are scattered across the outer Cape Cod landscape, an area consisting of glacial . Ice boats coasted across such frozen bodies of water as Long Pond in South Yarmouth, Scargo Lake in Dennis, Kellys Pond in West Dennis, Cobbs Pond in Brewster, and Gull Pond in Wellfleet, among many other locations across the Cape. If youre willing to walk down the beach a little bit, you can remove yourself from the crowds, and youll have a private swimming hole. USGS is also involved with research off the coast of Cape Cod in the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Cod has 890 freshwater ponds. Jack Sheedy is a freelance writer and author living in Dennis. This pond has a swimming area called Quiet Beach, and despite being pretty close to the highway, noise isnt a significant issue. Depressions in the outwash plain are called kettle holes. Even today, as the cold wind blows, and the temperature drops, and the snow flies, with a little imagination one can almost see the ghosts of former ice boats speeding across the glassy surface of Long Pond in Harwich, going like meteors., OFFICES: 18 Steeple Street Mashpee, MA 02649 508-419-7381, MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Groundwater is vulnerable to contamination and depletion. Many of these are kettle ponds, created at the end of the last ice age when large blocks of ice formed depressions in the sandy soil and then melted. 99 Marconi Site Road Its well worth the effort if youre looking for peace. The history of kettle ponds is quite remarkable. Depressions in the outwash plain are called kettle holes. USGS has also been involved with monitoring groundwater contamination of the underlying glacial aquifer at the Joint Base Cape Cod. When you talk about the water temperature, how warm is it? Pond health is also at risk from the changing climate. Brothers Clarence and Lester Quinn ice sailing on skates, circa 1930, in Orleans, probably on Cedar Pond. Although these tiny birds have rebounded from their smallest numbers, they are still a threatened species. Dive down the deepest pond, 8degrees Celsius. Fortunately, the winters seem to have been colder in those days, and in fact there were many winters when local harbors froze over, and there are even tales of Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Sound becoming jammed with ice. Submergent plants found in deeper water may include spatter dock, with golden globe-shaped flowers amid large flat leaves, and native white water lilies. How many pounds of fish does a seal eat per day. In 2013, USGS participated in a joint expedition with NOAA and other organizations to explore deep sea canyons offshore of the Northeast United States. Posted by jeff from St. Louis on 11/02/10 at 11:08 PM | # Related Posts: are tagged with Wellfleet, Ponds, Kettle, Glaciers, Herring, Geology, National Seashore, Gull Pond, Great Pond, Long Pond There isnt much parking, and youll need a pass to leave your vehicle there. It is important to keep a vegetated buffer around our ponds. This globally threatened habitat of a specialized plant community consists ofrose tickseed,grass-leaved goldenrod,Plymouth gentian, andsandplain agalinis. So many visitors to Cape Cod are bent on finding the ocean. To speak to a park ranger, call 508-255-3421 for visitor information. According to newspaper accounts, the activity was all the rage during the 1870s through the 1890s, and continued well into the 20th century. In winter, during those frigid Januarys and Februarys of yore, these bodies of water froze to produce six, eight, 10, or more inches of ice to the delight of those looking to fill their icehouses and to those looking to glide upon their glazed surfaces. Ice skating was a popular activity during the 19th century, and the local newspapers of that era were sprinkled with mentions of skating parties at village ponds. There are three Great Ponds on the Outer Cape, one in Wellfleet, one in Eastham, and one in Truro. All Rights Reserved. Some are on three irons and some on four, the fourth being placed in the middle of the runner plank, so that when the boat is going ahead there is but three irons on the ice; this we think is an improvement going windward. Dunes are a prominent feature on Cape Cod National Seashore covering about one-third of the land surface. Youll find the pond on Buck Island Road. Scargo Lake in Dennis is historically significant because it is close to Scargo Tower, a hilltop tower constructed in 1901. Of all the winter activities on local ponds and lakes, perhaps the most popular with the locals was ice boating. Organic matter and sediment collect and are concentrated in the canyons allowing them to support a diversity of life, including cold-water corals and commercially important fisheries. Trees surround this pond, and although one beach accessible by car, you can find other, more private access points if youre willing to hike in. Cape Cod Life / November/December 2017 / History, Skaters and ice boats share the ice surface of Long Pond at Pleasant Lake in Harwich. While the ocean was cool, the kettle ponds were amazing. Photo by Pam LeBlanc. In winter, during those frigid Januarys and Februarys of yore, these bodies of water froze to produce six . The other one is climate change has caused significant warming of these ponds, particularly in the surface layers and also vertically. What do you say to people who say, 'What difference does it make if we lose a species?' Along with the kettle ponds there are also some wooded trails and campsites in the park. In the shallows of the water, you will find emergent plants like pickerelweed, with its spade-like leaves and purple flower spikes, a favorite of bumblebees. The Cape's natural ponds are the result of the glaciers that left this area 18,000 years ago. Austin Travels is a women-owned, Austin-based travel magazine committed to highlighting destinations in Texas and beyond through the lenses of diverse and talented writers. Kettle ponds are scattered across the outer Cape Cod landscape, an area consisting of glacial outwash plains that formed during the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet some 18,000 years ago. Education / Freshwater Ponds Cape Cod has 890 freshwater ponds. They lie on top of the sandy sediments left behind as the glaciers retreated. Yarmouths Little Sandy Pond offers the best of both worlds because it has a full-blown recreation area, complete with tennis courts, a baseball diamond, a dog park, and a playground, in addition to one of the quietest, most secluded bodies of water on the Cape. Chunks of glacial ice gouged depressions into the substrate, creating "kettle ponds" that are recharged by rain and melting snow. Wakeby Pond and Mashpee Pond in the Mashpee region are connected and combine to create one of the Capes top family recreation areas. 508-255-3421 "There has been a dramatic change in the temperature structure from top to bottom.". You might catch me late in the day getting some exercise in swimming across Duck Pond, one of the best hidden Wellfleet ponds.If you do want to visit any of the area ponds, you can find out more about them from the Wellfleet Information Center. Without these disturbances, these ecosystems would likely be replaced with forests. These canyons are also associated with submarine landslides and hydrocarbon seeps. After a long sweaty day of hiking and salt-water swimming, we looked forward each day to a dip in the kettle pond. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In the three days Ive been here so far this year, Ive swum in four ponds Flax Pond, a circular, pine-lined oasis of tea-colored water where you might find a kid swinging off a rope swing tied to a tree but you wont find crowds; Upper Mill Pond, where you can glide out to a pair of floating docks and take a breather; Slough Pond, which you can swim directly across on your way to investigate a kids camp on the other side; or my favorite, Sheep Pond, a hidden gem of a swimming hole with a peaceful lagoon and some overly-friendly ducks. Thus, scientists on the expedition used a special remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for exploration. 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192. Just up the road in Barnstable is another secluded gem called Hathaways Pond. These kettle hole lakes and ponds have little to no surface-water inflows or outflows, and receive all of their hydrologic inputs from groundwater and precipitation. Photo courtesy of Nantucket Historical Association. Groundwater movesit flows. Surface water temperatures have increased by almost 3 degrees Celsius in the last 15 to 20 years and that's a huge, huge change. At Catalena Hatters in Bryan, Texas, you can buy a, Pam LeBlanc heads to Shiner, Texas, which feels li, There's no doubt this summer will be scorching! Vegetated buffers can capture much of these before they wash or seep into our rivers, lakes and ponds. Fish hide from great blue herons and feed on algae and smaller swimming creatures. There is even an island in the middle of the lake you can check out if you have the time. You can try, Signs Of Climate Change Past, Present And Future On Plum Island. It is said there are 365 ponds and lakes across Cape Codone for each day of the year. There were 105 transactions posted during this time. Many people flock to Cape Cod for its beaches during the summer season, but the regions kettle ponds may just be among its best kept secrets. In many kettle ponds, these processes have smoothed the shoreline so that the ponds are almost circular . Toward that end, January and February were the months to fill the icehouse with blocks cut from the nearby pond in order to satisfy the demand come May and June. Top of the pond, somewhere around 25, 26 degrees Celsius. Vegetation helps to stabilize the dunes and combat erosion. For years, scientists have been warning about the transformation. It feels old-school, and I bet it hasnt changed much in the last 100 years. Small birds land on floating vegetation to catch an insect or have a drink. The ponds and lakes in the town of Barnstable were home to a number of ice boats, including crafts that belonged to W. D. Lewis of Cotuit and Burchard V. Kelley of Centerville. By having a level of understanding of what's happening and how climate change is influencing these ponds and what aspects it's influencing then we can speculate and make predictions about what may happen in the future with different scenarios of climate change. The Harwich Independent newspaper of February 19, 1895 reported, During the past week the young people, and some of the older ones as well, enjoyed skating and ice-boating on Long Pond, indicating that some 150 people had been on the ice surface the previous Saturday. Dunes on Cape Cod are a result of a variety of interconnected forces including glacial activity, erosion, deposition, and destabilization of the ground surface by early settlers. They mark the sites of ice blocks that were left behind by the retreating . Locals know all about the numerous kettle ponds found up and down the Cape, but, for the most part, many of these swimming holes and recreation areas remain a secret from outsiders. I mean some species, if, for example, with this climate warming, if we see a proliferation of cyanobacteria, people will notice because there could be, given the right species of cyanobacteria, pond closures because of the toxin they produce.
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