Monday, April 22, 2013
The Tiverton Town Council will consider amendments to town ordinances regulating recreational activities on Stafford Pond at its meeting on Monday, April 22.
The Tiverton Town Council is asking residents to weigh in on the town's efforts to protect Stafford Pond - a public drinking water resource. Tiverton is considering adopting stricter regulations for recreational uses of Stafford Pond, and limiting the scope of of the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM)-sponsored fishing tournaments. On Monday the Town Council will conduct a public hearing at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall - the meeting is an opporutinty for residents to weigh in on proposed amendments to Chapter 15 of Tiverton's ordinance dealing with drinking water. The amendments would redefine permitting process for tournaments held on town reservoirs like Stafford Pond. Under the new ordinance, a tournament, which is defined as…
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Councilor William P. Gerlach writes a letter to the editor urging Tiverton residents to speak out against recreational activities that could compromise Stafford Pond - a town drinking water resource.
To the Editor: Few natural resources in Tiverton hold as much beauty and importance as Stafford Pond. As Tiverton’s only public drinking water source, thousands of residents rely on Stafford Pond each and every day. Anything that could compromise the quality and safety of this resource should give all residents of Tiverton pause. When compared to other public drinking water sources in Rhode Island, Stafford Pond stands out – for all the wrong reasons: It has a public boat ramp; it is stocked with fish for recreational purposes; boats with large combustion engines are allowed on it for DEM-permitted fishing tournaments; it is an official Federal Aviation Administration seaplane landing location; it contains two known invasive species (…
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Tiverton is getting a head start on protecting Stafford Pond - a major drinking water resource in town.
The Tiverton Town Council is making moves toward protecting Stafford Pond - a major drinking water source for north Tiverton residents - and it wants the public to weigh in on how best to do so. On April 22 during a public hearing at 7 p.m., Tiverton residents will get the chance to share their thoughts on a set of proposed regulations intended to limit the scope of the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM)-sponsored fishing tournaments (and other hazardous recreational activities) on Stafford Pond. The public hearing was suggested by Councilor William P. Gerlach in the wake of a meeting with DEM, state Department of Health officials, town leaders and East Bay legislators. "It was a productive discussion, we made our case …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The state Department of Environmental Management will hold two public workshops - one in Tiverton and one in Exeter - addressed proposed freshwater fishing, hunter and falconry regulations on state ponds and wildlife areas.
The state Department of Environmental Management's Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold public workshops in Tiverton and Exeter in early April to discuss the proposed 2014-2015 freshwater fishing seasons, 2013-2014 falconry season, and the 2013-2014 hunting season and bag limit regulations. The workshops follow concerns by Tiverton residents and leaders on the recreational uses allowed on Stafford Pond. The pond is a primary drinking water resource for some Tiverton residents in the Stone Bridge water district. Officials worry loose regulations could allow for contamination from fuel, invasive species and other threats. Public workshops will be held on Tuesday, April 2 at the Tiverton Rod and Gun Club located at 1529 Fish Road in …
Monday, February 11, 2013
Town officials are worried motor oil from boats could contaminate drinking water in Stafford Pond.
Town officials are looking to work with the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to impose regulations on the boats that will be allowed on the Stafford Pond reservoir during the 16 scheduled bass fishing tournaments this year. Between April 21 and Oct. 12, The Sakonnet Times reports 16 tournaments will bring large boats, with large motors onto Stafford Pond - which supplies drinking water to Tiverton residents who are part of the Stone Bridge water district. The announcement comes at a time when the Town Council and Tiverton Conservation Commission are planning a meeting with DEM officials to create stricter regulations on the recreational use of the reservoir. A tentative meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the …
Friday, January 18, 2013
Stafford Pond, one of Tiverton's drinking water resources, is under threat of pollution from hazardous activities allowed there by the state.
Stafford Pond, one of Tiverton's drinking water sources, could be in danger of contamination from fishing tournaments and seaplane landings that the state allows there, according to Tiverton officials. On Wednesday night, the Tiverton Conservation Commission held a workshop on drinking water protection at Stafford Pond to determine threats and configure a plan to take action, the Providence Journal and The Newport Daily News report. The commission's chairman, Thomas Ramotowski, is concerned that gasoline and oil from the state-sponsored fishing competitions could pollute the pond's waters. In a past Planning Board meeting, Ramotowski said gasoline and oil cannot be properly filtered during the purification process. Invasive species …
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2:47 am on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
"Under the new ordinance, a tournament, which is defined as more than six boats, would now require a town permit - for a fee of $50 - from the town clerk to allow for the use of the Tiverton boat ramp." The boat ramp and the parking area are owned by the state and not the town. Although I understand the concern for the power boats on the pond, not all of them are launched from the state ramp. more ›