What Pond Friends have done

Posted 8/18/16

For those living on Warwick Pond, the 85-acre fresh water lake is an oasis in the midst of development. It offers recreation, cool breezes on hot summer days, open vistas of the sky, and a window to nature. There are even those living on the eastern

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What Pond Friends have done

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For those living on Warwick Pond, the 85-acre fresh water lake is an oasis in the midst of development. It offers recreation, cool breezes on hot summer days, open vistas of the sky, and a window to nature. There are even those living on the eastern shore who cite the enjoyment of watching planes land and take off from Green Airport without the impact of them flying overhead.

But last summer, pond waters turned a florescent blue-green. The condition was identified as a blue-green algae bloom, and the Department of Environmental Management issued an advisory for people and animals to avoid contact with the water. The bloom, actually cynobacteria, could be toxic and cause a rash and nausea and vomiting if ingested. As it turned out, the Warwick Pond bloom was not toxic, but the event galvanized the community and, under the leadership of Edgewater Drive resident Philip D’Ercole, led to the formation of The Friends of Warwick Ponds.

D’Ercole was distressed by what had happened to his beloved pond and its impact on his dream of spending his summers on his pontoon boat and family gatherings in his backyard. He appealed to city and state officials and had their attention when he argued his property valuation and those of others living on the pond should be dropped because the pond was becoming a detriment.

D’Ercole and those he rallied went a step further in identifying the Rhode Island Airport Corporation as the source of nutrients feeding the bloom. The claim, which was never proven, was that fertilizers used on the relocated fields of Winslow Park were being flushed into the pond by storm water runoff. The group also pointed to the creation of wetlands on the tributary feeding the pond to offset the loss of wetlands from the expansion of a runway safety area as a possible culprit.

The bloom was no longer a capricious act of nature but tagged as a product of human actions.

So far this summer the bloom has not reoccurred, although as reported in today’s Beacon, the water in the middle of the pond has a greenish hue. Conditions – extended heat, lots of sun and downpours that would flush nutrients into the water – appear to be ideal for another bloom.

With seemingly a cleaner pond, D’Ercole and the core of The Friends of Warwick Ponds haven’t relaxed. They have extended their outreach to other Warwick ponds, hold monthly meetings, attend council meetings, and are in contact with city and state officials and agencies. The Friends are gathering information on pond conditions with the goal of being proactive rather than reactive when they identify situations that could affect water quality.

There’s a lot of information to be had, too. Volunteers with the URI Watershed Watch have been faithfully monitoring Warwick Pond and the water in other city ponds for decades. And DEM has kept a steadfast watch of the environment.

D’Ercole has taken his crusade personally. He doesn’t use fertilizers on his lawn. He notes that the pavers on his driveway allow for the water to sink into the ground rather than run down the storm drain when he washes his car, and he pulls up weeds instead of using Roundup. He calls on his neighbors to follow his example.

Will it make a difference?

It already has.

The Friends have turned up the volume that we need to take action if we’re going to protect the environment so dear to us.

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