Moeckel Pond - Reasons for the Project
For over 200 years, Moeckel Pond was a prime example of how humans and
wildlife could coexist. Then, due to a deficiency in the stone dam that
was built in 1778 to maintain the pond’s water level, the State of New
Hampshire ordered that the dam be opened until further repairs could be
made. As the water drained from the 40-acre shallow pond, so did the
aquatic connectivity for the natural populations. Snapping turtles were
forced to migrate, spotted and painted turtles were caught in the pond
sediment, warm-water fish were cut off from this migratory corridor and
trapped in shallow waterholes, dragonfly populations dwindled and
waterfowl seen every spring on the pond as they migrated along the
Atlantic Flyway disappeared.
The New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan identified Moeckel Pond as part
of one of the highest ranked habitats based on ecological condition. The
Wildlife Action Plan states that, “Rapid urban development in many parts
of the state was identified as the most potent risk to our wildlife,
devastating the health of many terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic
populations and irreversibly fragmenting their habitats.” In New
Hampshire, ten percent of non-tidal wetlands have been filled or drained
for roads, residential development and security. More specifically,
Windham has seen the highest population growth in the state over the
last ten years, indicating that land is becoming scarcer. This may be
one of the last opportunities to preserve 40 acres of natural wetlands.
Now, the coexistence treasured for over two centuries has been lost.
(Back to the overview of the project.)
Windham Endowment for Community Advancement
P.O. Box 4315, Windham NH 03087
Tel: 603.437.0686
Email: ContactWE@windhamendowment.org