Winnecunnet Pond
Encyclopedia
Winnecunnet Pond or Winneconnet Pond or Winnecunnett Pond, very often called Lake Winnecunnet or Lake Winneconnet or Lake Winnecunnett although it is a pond
rather than a lake
, is a body of water
in Norton, Massachusetts
, USA
.
The name also lends itself to the residential area around the pond. "Winnecunnett" (in its various spellings) may be an Algonquian
word meaning "beautiful place in the pine
s".
Located on the east side of town (on the north side of I-495
), Winneconnet Pond is fed by the Canoe River
and Mulberry Meadow Brook (sometimes simply called "Mulberry Brook" and referred to in a 1890 document as "Leach's Stream").
Winneconnet Pond feeds into a portion of the Mill River known as the "Snake River" before the Mill River feeds into the Taunton River
.
According to The Sun Chronicle
, at one time the town of Norton's "approximate gateways were Ulmer's Farm on Route 123
and a big turkey
farm near Lake Winnecunnett."
. It has an average depth of 6 ft (1.8 m) and a maximum depth of 11 ft (3.4 m). According to MassWildlife:
Weed
s are a serious problem in Winneconnet Pond. The pond appeared on the United States Environmental Protection Agency
"Massachusetts List of Impaired Waters for 1989". The parameter of concern was given as "noxious
aquatic plant
s."
In an October 2007 town meeting, Winneconnet Pond area residents spoke in favor of allocating a proposed $40,000 in funds to develop a weed control
and dredging program for the pond which a spokesperson described “a weed-infested, mosquito
breeding swamp
.”
Another resident complained, “We're living in unsanitary conditions…People can't sell their homes because we live on a swamp.” A town official said the project would cost the town an additional $15,000 to $20,000 per year besides the initial $40,000 expenditure. Because of these cost factors, the plan was turned down.
, the Wampanoag Indian
sachem
also known as "King Phillip", is said to have hid in a cave
near the pond near the end of King Philip's War
before meeting his death in Hockomock Swamp
. According to one source, "Every Norton school child has been entertained with the legend of King Phillip's Cave
."
wrote a study of the nest
ing habits of the Barred Owl
which included the following observation:
The panfish
population of Winneconnet Pond was deliberately thinned with a netting operation in 1955. The pond was last surveyed in July 1978. In a 1978 survey, nine species of fish were found: largemouth bass
, chain pickerel
, yellow perch
, bluegill
, pumpkinseed
, white perch
, brown bullhead
, golden shiner
and white sucker
. Black crappie inhabit the waters as well. In 1988 and 1992 the pond was stocked with northern pike
.
reports that "the town forest, where King Philip's Cave is located, and Lake Winnecunnett are both popular recreation sites." The pond is used for recreational boating
and angling
. There is a small boat launch at the eastern edge of the pond on Bay Road.
According to the MDFW:
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
rather than a lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, is a body of water
Body of water
A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water, usually covering the Earth or another planet. The term body of water most often refers to large accumulations of water, such as oceans, seas, and lakes, but it may also include smaller pools of water such as ponds, puddles or...
in Norton, Massachusetts
Norton, Massachusetts
Norton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, and contains the village of Norton Center. The population was 18,036 at the 2000 census...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The name also lends itself to the residential area around the pond. "Winnecunnett" (in its various spellings) may be an Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
word meaning "beautiful place in the pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s".
Location
Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 495 is the designation of an Interstate Highway half-beltway in Massachusetts. It was the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway of its kind—measuring 120.74 miles —until 1996, when the PA Route 9 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was redesignated as Interstate 476, making it about ...
), Winneconnet Pond is fed by the Canoe River
Canoe River
The Canoe River is a river in southeastern Massachusetts. It is long and part of the Taunton River watershed.The Canoe River arises from headwaters near Lake Massapoag in Sharon, and meanders generally southwards through the towns of Sharon, Foxborough, Mansfield, and Easton to empty into...
and Mulberry Meadow Brook (sometimes simply called "Mulberry Brook" and referred to in a 1890 document as "Leach's Stream").
Winneconnet Pond feeds into a portion of the Mill River known as the "Snake River" before the Mill River feeds into the Taunton River
Taunton River
The Taunton River , is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater...
.
According to The Sun Chronicle
The Sun Chronicle
The Sun Chronicle is a daily newspaper in Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA...
, at one time the town of Norton's "approximate gateways were Ulmer's Farm on Route 123
Massachusetts Route 123
Route 123 is a west–east state highway in southeastern Massachusetts. It crosses northern Bristol and Plymouth Counties, crossing several highways along the way.-Route description:...
and a big turkey
Domesticated turkey
The domesticated turkey is a large poultry bird. The modern domesticated form descends from the wild turkey , one of the two species of turkey ; in the past the ocellated turkey was also domesticated.The turkey is raised throughout temperate parts of the world and is a popular form of poultry,...
farm near Lake Winnecunnett."
Characteristics
Winneconnet Pond is a 148 acre (59.9 ha) pond in that is part of the Taunton River WatershedTaunton River Watershed
right|thumb|200px|An USGS map of the Taunton River WatershedThe Taunton River watershed or Taunton River basin is made up of of rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands in southeastern Massachusetts, USA. It is the second largest watershed in the state...
. It has an average depth of 6 ft (1.8 m) and a maximum depth of 11 ft (3.4 m). According to MassWildlife:
The fertile, stained water is transparent to five feet and the bottom is predominantly mudMudMud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
. The shoreline is heavily developed with commercial and residential buildings except for the swampSwampA swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
y areas near inletInletAn inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water, often leading to an enclosed body of water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon or marsh. In sea coasts an inlet usually refers to the actual connection between a bay and the ocean and is often called an...
s.
Weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
s are a serious problem in Winneconnet Pond. The pond appeared on the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
"Massachusetts List of Impaired Waters for 1989". The parameter of concern was given as "noxious
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
s."
In an October 2007 town meeting, Winneconnet Pond area residents spoke in favor of allocating a proposed $40,000 in funds to develop a weed control
Weed control
Weed control is the botanical component of pest control, using physical and chemical methods to stop weeds from reaching a mature stage of growth when they could be harmful to domesticated plants and livestock...
and dredging program for the pond which a spokesperson described “a weed-infested, mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
breeding swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
.”
Another resident complained, “We're living in unsanitary conditions…People can't sell their homes because we live on a swamp.” A town official said the project would cost the town an additional $15,000 to $20,000 per year besides the initial $40,000 expenditure. Because of these cost factors, the plan was turned down.
History
MetacometMetacomet
Metacomet , also known as King Philip or Metacom, or occasionally Pometacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philip's War, a widespread Native American uprising against English colonists in New England.-Biography:Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit...
, the Wampanoag Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
also known as "King Phillip", is said to have hid in a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
near the pond near the end of King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
before meeting his death in Hockomock Swamp
Hockomock Swamp
The Hockomock Swamp is a vast wetland encompassing much of the northern part of southeastern Massachusetts. This land is considered the second largest wetland in the state...
. According to one source, "Every Norton school child has been entertained with the legend of King Phillip's Cave
King Phillip's Cave (Massachusetts)
King Phillip's Cave is a cave in Norton, Massachusetts near Lake Winnecunnett. It may be accessed from Stone Run Drive off Plain Street near Bay Road and sits on a parcel of land owned by the Land Preservation Society a non-profit, independent conservation organization chartered in 1970 by the...
."
Wildlife
In 1927, Edward Howe ForbushEdward Howe Forbush
Edward Howe Forbush was a noted Massachusetts ornithologist and a prolific writer, best known for his book Birds of New England....
wrote a study of the nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
ing habits of the Barred Owl
Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is a large typical owl. It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably best known as the hoot owl.-Description:...
which included the following observation:
In the region where I hunt, in southeastern MassachusettsSoutheastern MassachusettsSoutheastern Massachusetts is a term that refers to those portions of Massachusetts which are, by their proximity, economically and culturally linked to Providence, Rhode Island as well as Boston.-Definition:...
, the barred owl is decidedly our commonest large owlOwlOwls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
, but it is none too common at that...The Winnecunnett pair has a record of 26 years, 1905 to 1930, inclusive, though this pair also was much disturbed by cutting in the woods and was obliged to nest in five different groves of pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s, one of which was a quarter of a mile away. In all these cases a pair of red shouldered hawks nested regularly in the same tract.
The panfish
Panfish
A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
population of Winneconnet Pond was deliberately thinned with a netting operation in 1955. The pond was last surveyed in July 1978. In a 1978 survey, nine species of fish were found: largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, chain pickerel
Chain pickerel
The chain pickerel, Esox niger , is a species of freshwater fish in the pike family of order Esociformes. The chain pickerel and the american pickerel belong to the Esox genus of pikes.-Range:...
, yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, pumpkinseed
Pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed sunfish is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is also referred to as "pond perch", "common sunfish", "punkys", and "sunny".-Range and distribution:...
, white perch
White perch
The white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is, rather, a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie....
, brown bullhead
Brown bullhead
The brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus, is a fish of the Ictaluridae family that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead...
, golden shiner
Golden shiner
The golden shiner is a cyprinid fish native to eastern North America. It is the sole member of its genus. Much used as a bait fish, it is probably the most widely pond-cultured fish in the United States.-Description:...
and white sucker
White Sucker
The White Sucker is a bottom-feeding freshwater fish inhabiting North America from Labrador in the north to Georgia and New Mexico in the south. It is a long, round-bodied fish with a dark green, grey, copper, brown, or black back and sides and a light underbelly. When fullgrown, it is between 12...
. Black crappie inhabit the waters as well. In 1988 and 1992 the pond was stocked with northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
.
Recreational use
The Patriot LedgerThe Patriot Ledger
The Patriot Ledger is a daily afternoon newspaper published in Quincy, Massachusetts and serving the South Shore. Its circulation is 55,000 on weekdays and 63,000 for its Weekend edition which is published on Saturday mornings....
reports that "the town forest, where King Philip's Cave is located, and Lake Winnecunnett are both popular recreation sites." The pond is used for recreational boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
and angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
. There is a small boat launch at the eastern edge of the pond on Bay Road.
According to the MDFW:
This pond is one of the most popular ponds in southeastern MassachusettsSoutheastern MassachusettsSoutheastern Massachusetts is a term that refers to those portions of Massachusetts which are, by their proximity, economically and culturally linked to Providence, Rhode Island as well as Boston.-Definition:...
for ice fishingIce fishingIce fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
, being one of the first ponds to ice-up and one of the last to lose its ice. Due to excellent access, the pond is heavily fished. Abundant weed growth in the summer can make fishing and boating difficult. In response to this, the town of Norton once purchased and operated a weed-harvesting machine on the pond during the summer. Fisherman can expect catches of chain pickerel and largemouth bass with an occasional northern pike of ten pounds or more...