Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, July 3
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m., online
Monday, July 7
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 8
- Conservation Commission on-site, 8:15 a.m.
- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.
Thursday, July 10
- Historical Commission, 10:30 a.m.
Conversation Starter
Algae Alert
Great Pond, Eastham’s largest pond and the site of two popular public beaches, Wiley Park Beach and Great Pond Beach, is under a swimming advisory as of Monday, June 30. According to the town’s health department, that’s because people have recently reported what look like harmful cyanobacteria blooms in the water.
Cyanobacteria is a microorganism that is native to the kettle ponds and can reproduce rapidly when water is warm, stagnant, or rich in nutrients from sources like septic systems or stormwater, according to the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC). These blooms produce cyanotoxins that can cause respiratory and neurological problems for humans and pets.
The APCC tests the water in Great Pond once every two weeks. At press time, the APCC was scheduled to next test the water on July 2.
In 2024, Great Pond tested within the APCC’s “acceptable” category throughout the monitoring season, from June 6 to Nov. 7. The highest concentration of cyanobacteria was found during August and September.
The last time Great Pond tested outside “acceptable” levels was in October 2023. At that time, a cyanobacteria bloom was detected but was determined to be below state standards for issuing a health advisory. No other freshwater ponds in Eastham tested outside acceptable levels in 2023, and none tested outside acceptable levels in 2024. —Parker Mumford
