Federal government testing water quality of Wallace Pond
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Wallace Pond will be one of three testing sites in Massachusetts for scientists from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is week.

The EPA is taking samples from two ponds - Wallace Pond in town and Gristmill Pond in Sudbury - and Haynes Reservoir in Leominster. This survey of water bodies is part of the New England Lakes and Ponds Project and a national survey of the health of the water systems.

"As part of the project 300 lakes across the region were chosen at random," said Hilary Snook, EPA environmental scientist.

Wallace Pond will be sampled on Friday, July 20.

Wallace Pond is located in the north central part of town. It is part of the Miller River Watershed District and feeds into Lake Watatic and Lower Neukeage.

The sampling effort is part of a multiyear joint study being undertaken by EPA and the New England states to assess the current water quality and ecological condition of lakes and ponds, said Snook.

The scientists are collecting data on the water and sediment chemistry; physical habitat characteristics; as well as biological aspects such as chlorophyll, zooplankton and aquatic plants.

There have been 1,00 to 1,400 bodies of water selected nationally for both environmental studies and regulatory studies. The regulatory reports will discuss the issues of public use of the waterways - fishing, swimming and boating, ect. - while the environmental studies will look at plant life and other bacteria in the water.

Some of these lakes will be tested again in five years but Snook did not know if Wallace Pond would be included in that set of tests.

A public report will be published at the end of the study but some reports will be available earlier than others, Snook said.