What Happened to Adams Pond?

Londonderry resident Kathy Wagner came before the Town Council earlier this month to see if there is anything the town can do to help restore Adams Pond.

The pond, which the town purchased an easement to in the mid-1990s, was once a beautiful area for recreation but has now practically disappeared due to a dam on the property.

"Due to the structure of the dam, the pond has been reduced to pretty much no longer a pond but just a mud hole," Wagner said. "Many, many people in this city use it.

"I live by it, I've played on it for 25 years, and it's gorgeous. It was absolutely gorgeous."

The problem is that the dam is a private dam, since the property is owned by Mack's Apples. The Mack family recently approached the Conservation Commission seeking assistance to pay for a study of what it would take to fix the dam and restore the pond, but it isn't clear if town conservation funds can be used since the town only holds an easement to the property and doesn't own it outright.

"Nobody knows what we're facing with the dam," Wagner said. "It could be a $50,000 repair or a $200,000 repair."

State Rep. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, said she will talk with the state Department of Environmental Services to see if there might be any grants to help pay for the study.

"It is a beautiful area," she said. "It's very close to our town center, and it's a shame that this happened, but I think we have an opportunity to try to rectify the situation."

Town Council Chairman John Farrell directed the town manager to ask the town attorney for an opinion on whether the town can use conservation funds to fund a study of what it would take to repair the dam and restore the pond.