Silver Lake

Environmental damage to Kingston's Silver Lake
Caused by Brockton's water withdrawal
The City of Brockton's water supply comes from several sources. Silver Lake is the primary supply, where water is withdrawn and treated. Because there is not enough water in Silver Lake alone, additional water is pumped from Monponset Pond and Furnace Pond and diverted into Silver Lake.

For the past four decades, both of these ponds, and Silver Lake have suffered adverse environmental damage because of Brockton's water management practices.

There IS a solution.  The Aquaria Desalinization Plant in Dighton could help reduce the environmental damage.

 

Brockton's pumping affects water resources
in four other communities

Silver Lake is the primary source of water for the City of Brockton, and is located in the four towns of Pembroke, Halifax, Plympton and Kingston. Monponsett Pond is in Halifax and Hanson, and Furnace Pond is in Pembroke.

Water is diverted from both Monponsett Pond and Furnace Pond usually between October to May, into Silver Lake, to refill Silver Lake after summertime depletion.

An average of 10 Million gallons of water a day is pumped from Silver Lake, treated at a treatment plant on the lake’s shore, and then sent 20 miles to the City of Brockton.

Water withdrawal causes the Jones River to run dry, and endangers fish

Silver Lake, feeds the Jones River (in Kingston). Because too much water is pumped from Silver Lake to supply Brockton's demand for water, the Jones River runs dry.

Water flow from the lake to Jones River is completely shut off for over half of every year impacting fish habitat in this small coastal river. Lack of flow causes water quality problems throughout the main stem of the river and spawning areas for river herring as well as habitats for other fish, including native brook trout, tessalated darter and white sucker, are seriously impaired.

Silver Lake experiences severe drawdown for months at a time, every single year.

The water level in Silver Lake is drawn down dramatically in most years, because an average of 10 million gallons a day is taken regardless of the availability of water from other sources. The manipulations of the water levels in these ponds are driven entirely by Brockton’s need for water.

Protected wildlife such as Eastern Pondmussels, and Tidewater Mucket die-off every year in Silver Lake, because of the pumping. Other species including the Lampmussel and Pond Floater also die off in large quantities. Because these freshwater mussels are essential for purifying the water, the killing of large populations is a significant problem. The endangered mussel the Triangle Floater once lived in Silver Lake and has not been seen since the deep draw down in 1981.

Serious impacts at Monponsett Pond and Furnace Pond, as well as downstream

Water is diverted into Silver Lake from two ponds that are in two other watersheds. Monponsett Pond, which flows into Stump Brook is in the Taunton River watershed; and Furnace Pond which supplies Herring Brook, is in the North River watershed.

To make sure there will be enough water for them to send to Silver Lake, Brockton keeps the water in Monponsett Pond and Furnace Pond artificially high throughout the year. This causes flooding in Halifax, Hanson and Pembroke, and adds to the deteriorating water quality.

Silver Lake severely depleted, on November 5, 2007 (Photo Pine duBois)

Brockton's pumping threatens fish and other wildlife

The River Herring population the North River system are inadvertently diverted into Silver Lake from Furnace Pond, where they are stranded and lost. The North Atlantic population of river herring is already in severe decline, and this only hastens their possible extinction.

Because the water in Monponset Pond and Furnace Pond is diverted to Silver Lake, and is not allowed to flow downstream, there is often not enough water in Stump Brook and Herring Brook. Lack of adequate clean water endangers willdlife in Mass Audubon’s Stump Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located along Stump Brook downstream of the Brockton dam.

Habitat for fish and other aquatic life is severely degraded and in some cases eliminated for months at a time in the affected waterways, due to these practices. Water quality in Monponsett Pond and Furnace Pond gets so bad most summers, they are closed to swimming. Water quality downstream of the dams have high nutrients, which combined with low flows creates unnaturally poor habitat for aquatic life.

Transfers of polluted waters are fouling Silver Lake and the Jones River

Impaired water quality in Silver Lake: Monponsett Pond and Furnace Pond both have serious water quality problems primarily because of runoff from surrounding development, agriculture, lawns and septic systems.

When polluted water from these ponds is pumped into Silver Lake, it degrades the water quality in Silver Lake. The pollution contributes to algae blooms and die-off of mussels. It has also caused the loss of brook trout in the lake.

There IS a solution: Desal plant could help reduce the environmental damage

The Aquaria desalinization plant, in Dighton on the Taunton River, is now online, and its water should be utilized to reduce the environmental damage to the resources in the Silver Lake system. But DEP has failed to take action as promised.

Other water sources for Brockton

Brockton also draws water from the Avon (aka Brockton) Reservoir, where it takes less than a million gallons a day, and the Hubbard Avenue well, which can only be used for emergency supply. However, the Silver Lake system is Brockton’s main source for water, and the focus of this fact sheet.