Fresh Pond

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Fresh Pond was designated by the DEC in 1988 as a Critical Environmental Area (CEA).  CEAs have exceptional or unique character with respect to one or more of the following:

• a benefit or threat to human health;
• a natural setting (e.g., fish and wildlife habitat, forest and vegetation, open space and areas of important aesthetic or scenic quality);
• agricultural, social, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, or educational values; or
• an inherent ecological, geological or hydrological sensitivity to change that may be adversely affected by any change.

Learn more about CEAs                          See the CEA map of Fresh Pond

Fresh Pond is a popular destination among fisherman for Largemouth Bass, Perch, Trout and other fish species, Learn more.

Fresh Pond faces several challenges to its water quality and habitat health. Invasive weeds and algae fill the pond during summer months, making boating and fishing difficult, diminishing the pond's scenic beauty and threatening the health of fish and wildlife. These conditions are caused by excess nutrients entering the pond from several sources. Water monitoring conducted by SWAN has detected chlorophyll-a levels far in excess of healthy levels and, in 2020, harmful algal blooms were identified by SWAN and confirmed by the DEC.  Learn more.