Fresh Pond Reservation

Fresh Pond Reservation consists of 162 acres of open space surrounding and protecting the 155 acre Fresh Pond Reservoir. Fresh Pond Reservoir is part of the drinking water supply system for the City of Cambridge which includes Hobbs Brook Reservoir in Lincoln, Lexington and Waltham, and Stony Brook Reservoir in Weston and Waltham.  Water from the drinking water supply system is purified at the Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility adjacent to Fresh Pond Reservoir, and pumped to Payson Park Reservoir in Belmont. From there it flows back to the City by gravity, providing drinking water to residents and businesses of Cambridge.  more on the history of Fresh Pond Reservation and Fresh Pond Reservoir>>

Volunteer at Fresh Pond Reservation!

We are always looking for volunteers to help out  at the Reservation.  Volunteering offers an opportunity to learn about the unique ecosystems on the Reservation, and to meet other Fresh Pond Reservation users!  Click here to learn more!

Learn more about the projects at Fresh Pond Reservation!

Current Projects:

Blacks Nook Access Area Improvement Project

 The City of Cambridge has contracted with the Bioengineering Group to develop and implement a plan to improve access and landscaping to the eastern side of  Black's Nook Pond. The restoration plan  has been designed in accordance with the Fresh Pond Master Plan.  The Black's Nook Restoration Plan aims to improve the environment around this small pond, improving degraded areas, eliminating invasives, and fostering native plant growth, while preserving the sense of wildness that makes Black's Nook unique. The restoration project will improve the use of the pond as a resource/study area for children, and allow for universal accessibility, while minimizing user conflict. more

Blacks Nook Project Schedule:

Fall 2009/Winter 2010- Invasive tree and vine removal

Spring 2010- Additional targeted invasive plant removal, shoreline stabilization, and soil amendments

Late Spring/Early Summer 2010- Planting

Summer 2010- Blacks Nook Trail and Platform Construction

Click here to view the Black's Nook Project presentation 

Click here to view the preliminary planting plan presentation

*MEETING 1/25/10*- Conservation Commission Meeting concerning Blacks Nook Project

Click here to view meeting agenda

Glacken Slope Improvement Project

Glacken Slope, which is located behind the Fresh Pond clubhouse and slopes down to the perimeter pond road, has become severely degraded over the years due to compacted soil, erosion,  and ack of plant diversity. The degradation of this area negatively impacts water quality, as runoff from the slope drains to Fresh Pond. The City of Cambridge has contracted with the Bioengineering Group to develop a restoration plan for this area.  The plan will address severe erosion and compaction, aim to stabilize the slope, improve soil infiltration and drainage, control runoff, increase native species and diversity and control invasive plants, and enhance views from the top of the slope. Phase I of the plan will include removal of invasive species, removal of the degraded concrete walkway, development of an infiltration trench with level spreader, rain garden, and water quality swale.

Phase I Project Schedule:

November 2009: Tree work and drainage improvements begin

Spring 2010: Native planting begins

 Click here to view the restoration plan.

Purple Loosestrife Bio-control Project

The invasive wetland plant known commonly as purple loosestrife was first observed at Fresh Pond Reservation over 5 years ago.   Since then, it has spread to inhabit shoreline space along every waterbody on the Reservation, as well as in several of the wetland bioswales.  Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation and the Cambridge Water Department are working cooperatively to implement a biocontrol project at Fresh Pond Reservation that will limit purple loosestrife populations and allow native species to reclaim areas currently inundated with the invasive plant. more>>

Fresh Pond Reservation Access and Circulation Plan

During the fall and winter of 2006/2007, the Cambridge Water Department worked to form the Fresh Pond Reservation Circulation and Access Plan.  During the summer of 2006, we mapped current conditions at Fresh Pond Reservation, such as pathways and access points.  The next phase of this project will take place in 2010. more>>

Past Projects:

Fresh Pond Reservation Drainage and Habitat Improvements

The Fresh Pond Reservation Drainage and Habitat Improvements project focused on the southern watershed of Little Fresh Pond.  Enhancements to the golf course, Perimeter Road, and woodlands complemented the Little Fresh Pond Shoreline Restoration and Drainage Improvement Project, which was completed during the summer of 2007. more>>

 Northeast Sector Project

The City of Cambridge has completed and implemented a natural resource restoration and management plan for the areas of Lusitania Meadow, Neville Place, and the surrounding slopes.  The Northeast Sector Project  was based on recommendations from the Fresh Pond Reservation Master Plan as well as the preceding Fresh Pond Reservation Natural Resource Inventory and Natural Resource Stewardship Plan. This project has been funded jointly by the Community Preservation Act and the City of Cambridge. more>>

Little Fresh Pond Shoreline Restoration and Drainage Improvement Project Overview

Located along the western shoreline of Fresh Pond and adjacent to the municipal golf course, the Little Fresh Pond project was identified within the Fresh Pond Master Plan as a very high priority project and has been a joint endeavor between the City of Cambridge Water, Public Works, and Recreation Departments. Hired as consultants, The Bioengineering Group, Inc., and MWH Americas, Inc. collaborated to provide design and engineering services for the project. Funding has been provided in part through the Open Space Community Preservation Act (CPA).  more>>