Resources for Protecting Stockbridge Bowl

​According to the Town of Stockbridge, to prevent zebra mussel contamination, only canoes and kayaks stored at the Town Beach by permit can be launched from the beach. All other boats must be inspected and launched at the public access boat ramp off Rte. 183. Per state law, violators may be subject to fines from the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

Improving Water Quality

In developed areas, surface runoff, resulting from rainstorms and snowmelt, is the single largest contributor to water quality degradation. It is estimated that 80-90% of the phosphorus reaching waterways arrives adhered to sediment particles that have been loosened from the soil by surface runoff. Phosphorus is a major nutrient feeding aquatic vegetation and algae blooms in Stockbridge Bowl.

The bad news is that increased levels of phosphorus follow residential development. One study in Maine found that even careful development of woodland into two-acre house lots caused a 2- to 10-fold increase in phosphorus concentrations in surface runoff. In a recent survey of Stockbridge Bowl residents, 38% reported having exposed soils on their property and 44% reported that runoff from their property or driveway entered the lake or stream.

The good news is that we can reverse this trend by looking at our properties in a different way. Each of us can reduce the level of runoff from our properties into Stockbridge Bowl by looking at our land, identifying runoff patterns and taking a few simple steps to remedy those patterns. The health of Stockbridge Bowl is in our hands. We are all ​part of the problem. Together we can be the solution!

For more information, click the links on the right.