Fieldwork will begin by locating and marking the "deep basin" (depths between 40 and 65 feet) treatment area with buoys. This portion consisting of approximately 28 acres, or 14 percent of the pond area, is located approximately 300 feet offshore from the Wheeler Road side of the pond. The project has been coordinated with the Conservation Commissions and Harbormasters from both the Towns of Falmouth and Mashpee and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement. Access to the pond will not be limited; however, boaters will be asked to refrain from entering the work area, marked with buoys, during the alum treatment. All of the equipment launching and temporary staging activities will occur at the Ashumet Pond boat ramp located off Sandwich Road in Falmouth. The primary watercraft is a modified pontoon boat, 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. Other small craft will be used for support and monitoring. The boat ramp will remain open while this work is performed.

The alum treatment will involve injecting a mixture of liquid alum (aluminum sulfate) and sodium aluminate through an injection manifold at a depth of 35 feet in the deep basin area. This will remove phosphorus from the water column and reduce the release of phosphorus from pond-bottom sediments in future years. The alum treatment will first be applied to a test area of 5 acres of the deep basin to ensure that the treatment does not have any negative impacts to fish in the pond. A few days after monitoring the test area, and if there are no adverse impacts, the remaining 23 acres will be treated and monitored. Permitting for this project was completed last year through an Order of Condition issued by the Mashpee Conservation Commission on September 8, 2000. A copy of the Order of Conditions and related work plans are on-file at the Mashpee Conservation Commission Office, located at Mashpee Town Hall. Copies also can be obtained by contacting the Installation Restoration Program Office at the MMR.

In accordance with requirements of the Town of Mashpee Board of Selectmen, hours of operation will be limited to 8:00 am to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays. A half-hour set-up period is permitted from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. during which time none of the equipment will be operated. No work will be performed on Sundays.