Letter to the Editor: Problems at Wright's Pond Need to Be Addressed

Note: The following is a Letter to the Editor. It should not be considered the opinion of Medford Patch.

To the Medford Department of Public Works and Department of Parks:

Our neighbors in other towns are very jealous of us in Medford, and for good reason: we have Wright's Pond. This unique jewel in our parks system makes Medford a very special place all year, but especially in the summer. And thank to the city and the staff who keep it running so well, it keeps getting better, safer, and more popular every year.

But at mid-season a few problems are showing up at the pond which need to be addressed. Some of these are new, and some are long-term, but solving them would help to improve the enjoyability and safety of the pond for everyone.

First, the water level of the pond is going down, which is typical for a summer as hot and dry as the one we've been having. This means that the swimming area is getting smaller and shallower. The ropes delineating the general-swimming and lap areas are no longer straight, since the floats that hold them in place are drifting as the water recedes. So instead of nice straight lines, we have confusing angles and curves, and the lap area is only one-third as wide in the middle as it is at the ends. The anchors holding the floats should be moved to reflect the lower water level, and the floats themselves re-anchored tightly so that the ropes can unambiguously serve the purpose they're supposed to.

Second, the lap area, which was created a few years ago at the request of many residents who wanted to be able to get serious exercise, needs to be marked off with signs telling swimmers what it is for. Many adults and children are going into the area and playing and swimming in random directions, which creates a hazard for them and for the more serious swimmers. The lifeguards have their hands full and can't always whistle people out of the lap area who shouldn't be there. A couple of floating signs attached to the ropes saying "Lap swim only beyond this rope" would be a simple but effective remedy for the problem.

Finally, the weeds on the bottom are, as they do every year, getting worse. Combined with the dropping water level, parts of the swimming area are literally impassable, and it may only be a matter of time before a swimmer gets caught in the weeds and can't get free. Some years ago, the city spread a herbicide at the beginning of the season, which did an excellent job of clearing the weeds, but the effects, as expected, only lasted a couple of seasons. Perhaps the city could do it again next year, but for this year it would not be practical. What we would suggest instead is a "harvesting" of the weeds by volunteers: a dozen or so strong adult swimmers equipped with masks, including all of the undersigned, could spend a couple of hours one day clearing out the weeds by hand, accompanied by a few lifeguards in small boats, where the weeds would be collected. The city would probably need the volunteers to sign a liability waiver, and we are willing to do so. If a concerted effort is made, we would likely see a major improvement in the situation in an afternoon.

We hope the Parks Department will act on these issues quickly, so that those of us who enjoy and cherish Wright's Pond will be able to continue doing so for the remaining weeks of the summer.

Signed by the following residents of Medford:

Paul Lehrman and Sharon Kennedy, 98 Brooks Street
David Locke and Cathleen Read, 19 Sagamore Avenue
James Major and Tamara Major, 37 Ashland Street
Rivka Simmons, 13 College Avenue

City DPW Commissioner John Buckley submitted the following response in an email:

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. We (DPW) are in the process of putting together an action plan for the weeds (ie: milfoil application
and new aeration system).

We hope to have this plan out to bid late this year for spring implementation. We are also looking at a modified dam control system that will allow the height of the water to be raised and lowered with more efficiency. Our DPW staff has been harvesting the excess milfoil to the best of our ability and we will continue the effort.

Thank you once again for your comments.

Regards

John Buckley