The box plots below show results for additional indicators of the “health” of the Six Ponds. These are derived from Envirotech analyses of water samples taken in 2002.

The box plots show the range of values for half of the water samples from each pond. The line across each box indicates the middle, or median, value of the readings for each pond. Whisker lines extend from the box to the highest and lowest readings with the exception of instances where extreme readings are shown outside of this range.

The first of these, Turbidity, indicates how much stuff is suspended in the water. The numbers suggest that there is a lot of algae and other plant matter in the water. Note that Halfway Pond is much worse than the other ponds. Little Long pond is a relatively distant second to Halfway.

The Turbidity levels in Halfway and Little Long ponds were low in the samples taken in March of 2001 and low in March of 2002 just as they were with the rest of the Six Ponds. However, samples taken through the summer and into the fall reveal that the situation in Halfway and Little Long was quite different from that of the other ponds.  

Turbidity (NTU)

With regard to Alkalinity, an indicator of the pond’s ability to absorb acidic inputs, the readings at Gallows were consistently at levels regarded as critically low. The readings at Round and Bloody ponds are regarded as dangerously low. The other ponds fared only a little better.

The very low numbers are consistent with March data from 2001. Moreover, the data for the past several years demonstrates much the same pattern.

Alkalinity (mg/L)

For four of the ponds, Nitrate was basically undetectable. However, at Halfway pond a few very high readings (one was 6 times the eutrophic level) were scattered among a number of low readings, and at Little Long pond the median of the readings was nearly 2 times the eutrophic level.    

Again, these results are reasonably consistent with March 2001 results. Note, however, that in 1999 eutrophic levels of Nitrate Nitrogen were found in both Halfway and Little Long ponds. 

Nitrate-N (mg/L)

The Hardness of Little Long pond stands out from the other ponds just as it did last year.

Hardness (mg/L)