Maschaug Pond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maschaug Pond |
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seen from the Ocean View Highway
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 Maschaug Pond
Location in Rhode Island
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| Location | Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island |
| Group | Salt Ponds of Rhode Island |
| Coordinates | 41°19′07″N 71°49′51″W / 41.318710°N 71.8309015°W |
| Type | coastal lagoon, brackish |
| Primary inflows | precipitation, groundwater |
| Catchment area | 392.57 acres (158.87 ha) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 34.63 acres (14.01 ha) |
| Average depth | 6.89 ft (2.10 m) |
Maschaug Pond is a special water body called a coastal lagoon. It is located in Westerly, in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. This pond is one of nine similar lagoons, often called "salt ponds," found in southern Rhode Island. It is a small pond with slightly salty water.
Contents
Discovering Maschaug Pond
Maschaug Pond is not always connected to the Block Island Sound. It is mostly surrounded by the Misquamicut Club golf course. The pond formed about 12,000 years ago. This happened after huge glaciers melted away.
What is a Lagoon?
A lagoon is a shallow body of water. It is separated from a larger body of water, like the ocean, by a barrier. Maschaug Pond is a "coastal lagoon." This means it is near the coast. Its water is "brackish," which means it's a mix of fresh and salt water.
Pond Features
The area of land that drains into Maschaug Pond is called its watershed. This watershed covers about 392.57 acres (158.87 ha). The water itself covers 52.08 acres (21.08 ha) of this area. Maschaug Pond has a surface area of 34.63 acres (14.01 ha). A smaller pond nearby, Little Maschaug Pond, is 11.69 acres (4.73 ha).
The pond is about 6.89 ft (2.10 m) deep on average. The water has a salinity of about 7 parts per thousand. This means it's not salty enough for plants like eelgrass to grow well. The pond usually does not have tides. However, strong storms can cause the ocean to breach, or break into, the pond. This makes the water level rise.
Maschaug Pond gets about 57 million gallons of rain each year. We don't know how much groundwater flows into it. No rivers or streams flow into the pond.
Wildlife Around the Pond
The area around Maschaug Pond is home to important wildlife. Nests of the piping plover have been found here. The piping plover is a small shorebird. It is a threatened species. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. Protecting its habitat is very important.
Protecting the Pond
Maschaug Pond is very sensitive to storm surge. A storm surge is when sea levels rise during a big storm. This is because the land around the pond is low. Also, there are many homes and businesses nearby. Experts believe that future hurricanes could greatly change Maschaug Pond. They also think Winnapaug Pond might change a lot. This makes it important to protect these areas.
