Fosters Pond Corporation

Programs: Foster's pond weed control program: control of invasive weeds in 120-acre foster's pond, a great pond owned by the commonwealth of massachusetts and visited by an estimated 5,000 people annually. In 2017 the fpc treated approximately 10 acres of the pond for spiny naiad, an invasive weed which spreads both by seeds and by fragmentation. The fpc also treated the pond for blue-green algae, a public health hazard which can cause gastrointestinal distress in children and can kill dogs and other pets. The fpc continued our regimen of comprehensive vegetation surveys to monitor the presence of invasive weeds and ensure a timely response to keep the pond biologically diverse. The 2017 survey detected infestations of fanwort (a non-native species that was the dominant plant before we began our lake management program) growing in about 15 acres of the pond, as well as further outbreaks of spiny naiad in fanwort-infested areas that were not treated in 2017 but are scheduled for treatment in 2018. The herbicide which controls fanwort is also effective on spiny naiad. By keeping invasives under control, the fpc's lake management program continues to safeguard healthy growth of native plants. Additionally, the fpc commissioned the development of a watershed-based plan (wbp) to guide efforts to reduce nutrient run-off into the pond. We engaged the consultant who had just completed for the state's department of environmental management a first-in-the-nation model for estimating phosphorous loading from any watershed and had him apply the new model to the foster's pond watershed. We will be using the plan he developed to educate a wider community about ways to reduce nutrient run-off into foster's pond.

foster's pond dam maintenance: maintenance and repair of the historic 160-year-old foster's pond dam is undertaken almost exclusively by volunteers. In 2017, the fpc had only routine expenses for maintaining the structure. The consulting engineer's final report on the dam's 2016 state-mandated safety inspection was invoiced early in 2017 and is accordingly reflected in this year's return.

land preservation and public access: the fpc provides public parking and directional signs to guide visitors to our 8-acre reservation located to the southwest of the pond. The fpc land, which abuts a 47-acre shoreline reservation owned by the town of andover, affords access to the pond for hikers and cross-country skiers. This fpc reservation overlays the border between the towns of andover and wilmington, narrowing the gap between a 225-acre expanse of protected land on the shores of the pond and wilmington's nearby 154-acre town forest. The fpc also maintains the "pocket park" at the site of the foster's pond dam, affording public access for passive enjoyment and aquatic exploration of foster's pond. An estimated 1000 people from andover and surrounding towns make use of this park from april to november. It provides the only access by which members of the public can launch a canoe, kayak, or electric-powered fishing boat directly into foster's pond. Our web site provides a guide to the pond, describing each of the public reservations, complete with pictures, maps, and directions to public parking.

environmental education: our web site continues to provide residents and the general public with information on foster's pond and how to preserve and protect it. In 2017, we added a page describing our new watershed-based plan for managing nutrient run-off into the pond.