Squibnocket Pond District Advisory Committee

Squibnocket Pond is a special wild place on the Vineyard. The Squibnocket Pond District Advisory Committee’s mission is to help protect the fragile ecosystem of the pond and its surrounding watershed.

The Committee was established by the Town of Chilmark to “sponsor and oversee continued study and monitoring of the Pond and its watershed,” and to “observe and inform town boards of changes which are brought about by natural or human activities,” and to make recommendations to the town on ways the health of the watershed might be improved. SPDAC reports to the Chilmark Planning Board and its members are composed of representatives from the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Board of Health, and the Select Board, as well as citizen volunteers. Advisory Board members are drawn from Island organizations active in water quality issues and the scientific community.

The Squibnocket Pond Overlay District was established in 1990 by a Chilmark Special Town Meeting as a District of Critical Planning Concern. The District’s zoning bylaws add a layer of development regulations out of concern for the fragile and unique nature of the Squibnocket Pond watershed.

Like many coastal ponds on the Islands and Cape, Squibnocket Pond’s health is impaired by excess nitrogen and bacteria. The sources of the problems and potential solutions have been under study for many years and much current research is being conducted. This website will periodically post updates to keep you informed.

What you can do to help

As residents and citizens, you can take steps to help protect the precious resource that is Squibnocket Pond. Activity in a watershed directly impacts the pond at its center and the wildlife we all enjoy; all water finds its way downhill and into the pond and groundwater.

• Pay attention to the rules that prohibit use of pesticides, herbicides, and other harmful chemicals. Details about the District’s regulations and zoning restrictions are in Article 12 of the Chilmark Zoning Bylaws: https://www.chilmarkma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif8411/f/uploads/chilmark_zoning_bylaws_article_12.pdf
• Follow this excellent guide: The Island Blue Book: A Guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters gives tips to homeowners about how to be a friend to the environment in your daily life. It’s a fascinating, educational, well-illustrated and very accessible read. You can often find copies in Island libraries.

https://www.mvcommission.org/sites/default/files/docs/blue_pages_lorez_2019.pdf

• Protect our water resources by limiting your water use to essential needs, by landscaping with native plants that are drought-resistant (see Polly Hill Arboretum, in the Resources and Links tab to the left), and by reducing lawn area that needs irrigation.
• Assess your own property and water health by getting your well water tested regularly (https://wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/water-testing)
• Keep impervious (solid) surfaces to a minimum on your property, in order to let stormwater filter through the soil or gravel, giving it a chance to become cleaner before it enters the groundwater and pond. Chemicals, oils, bacteria, and waste from hard surfaces like pavement and large patios can be carried by storm runoff directly into waterways.
• You may want to consider upgrading your Title V septic system with an alternative system that better removes nitrogen from your wastewater, particularly if your house is lived in year-round. Title V systems filter bacteria out of your septic, but were not designed to reduce nitrogen. There is much research being done on new technology known as Innovative/Alternative septic systems. More information: https://www.mvcommission.org/alternative-nitrogen-removal-options