Regional Pond Monitoring Program

Overview

The Regional Pond Monitoring Program is being conducted in collaboration with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. It aims to monitor a representative sample of ponds across Cape Cod to provide insight into regional freshwater pond water quality and how it is influenced by factors including pond size, surrounding land use, land cover, and watershed characteristics. The program has been designed to complement existing monitoring efforts and provide baseline data regarding how different types of ponds on Cape Cod respond to changing regional environmental conditions throughout the summer and from year to year.

Pond Selection

Fifty ponds have been selected to be monitored over the next three years as part of the Regional Pond Monitoring Program. Pond selection was coordinated with municipal and other monitoring programs to prevent duplicating efforts and maximize data coverage across the region.

Selected ponds reflect a range of the following criteria:

Spatial coverage across all towns and aquifer lenses
Range of physical characteristics, e.g., pond size, depth, level of watershed development
Stream/herring run connections, implementation projects, and Coastal Plains Pondshores
Water quality status
Public uses of ponds
Located in or adjacent to an environmental justice area.

Ponds Selected for Monitoring

Listed alphabetically by town. *indicates ponds added in 2026.

Crystal Lake, Barnstable*
Garretts Pond, Barnstable
Hamblin Pond, Barnstable*
Hathaway Pond (North), Barnstable
Shubael Pond, Barnstable*
Lake Elizabeth, Barnstable
Long Pond, Barnstable
Lovells Pond, Barnstable
Micah Pond, Barnstable
Parker Pond, Barnstable
Flax Pond, Barnstable
Black Pond, Bourne*
Queen Sewell Pond, Bourne
Blueberry Pond, Brewster*
Cliff Pond, Brewster
Long Pond, Brewster
Pine Pond, Brewster*
Schoolhouse Pond, Chatham*
Slough Pond, Brewster
Barclay Pond, Chatham
Goose Pond, Chatham
White Pond, Chatham*
Coles Pond, Dennis
Flax Pond, Dennis
Kelleys Pond, Dennis*
Scargo Lake, Dennis

Bridge Pond, Eastham
Great Pond, Eastham*
Herring Pond, Eastham
Ministers Pond, Eastham
Cedar Lake, Falmouth*
Coonamessett Pond, Falmouth
Crooked Pond, Falmouth*
Deep Pond, Falmouth*
Jenkins Pond, Falmouth
Mares Pond, Falmouth
Shivericks Pond, Falmouth
Wing Pond, Falmouth
Cornelius Pond, Harwich
Hawksnest Pond, Harwich
Hinckleys Pond, Harwich*
Sand Lake, Harwich
Walkers Pond, Harwich
West Reservoir, Harwich*
Ashumet Pond, Mashpee*
Johns Pond, Mashpee
Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, Mashpee*
Moody Pond, Mashpee
Santuit Pond, Mashpee

Bolands Pond, Orleans*
Cedar Pond, Orleans*
Crystal Lake, Orleans
Pilgrim Lake, Orleans
Reubens Pond, Orleans
Uncle Harveys Pond, Orleans*
Blackwater Pond, Provincetown
Clapps Pond, Provincetown
Lawrence Pond, Sandwich
Peters Pond, Sandwich
Shawme Lake, Sandwich
Snake Pond, Sandwich*
Spectacle Pond, Sandwich
Great Pond, Truro
Village Pond, Truro
Duck Pond, Wellfleet
Great Pond, Wellfleet
Gull Pond, Wellfleet*
Herring Pond, Wellfleet
Long Pond, Wellfleet*
Dennis Pond, Yarmouth
James Pond, Yarmouth
Long Pond, Yarmouth*
West Sandy Pond, Yarmouth

Data Management and Analysis

Water quality monitoring data collected is stored and managed in the Cape Cod Water Quality Data Portal, which provides access to data and analyses to support management decisions and track performance.