LATEST NEWS
Featured
EVENTS
PROJECTS
Lake Garfield Watershed-Based Plan
A watershed-based plan is a holistic and adaptive document that provides guidance to local resource managers such as watershed and lake associations, local municipalities, resource owners and stakeholders for the assessment and management of resources within a geographically defined area – the watershed. VIEW THE PLAN
Hupi Road Drainage Project
The plans outline the installation of a catch basin drainage system that will capture much of the dirt road runoff and surrounding pollutants. The underground stormwater piping outlets into a pre-treatment sediment forebay just downhill of the driveway for 146 Hupi Road. Pretreatment will collect and concentrate much of the sediment and therefore nutrient pollutants. Just past the pre-treatment “sediment forebay” there is a planned fifteen-foot-long vegetated swale with stone check dams to slow down and infiltrate the remaining stormwater piped through the drainage system. Across the road a proposed baffle tank is designed to capture water and separate solids from water from the southern side of the road. READ MORE
Cyanobacteria Testing
Many bodies of water throughout the world are experiencing these blooms and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has formed the Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative Program in which many states are testing and reporting results to the EPA and their local areas in order to protect the public from health problems
SHORT STORIES
The Story Board: A Fish Story and Monterey Mystery
2025 SUMMER EVENT: CARDBOARD BOAT REGATTA
On Saturday, August 9, the parks and recreation commission sponsored its annual Kid’s Beach Party at the Lake Garfield Town Beach. The very well attended event showcased the premier swimming and park area of the Berkshires. Along with face painting, sandcastle competition, ice cream truck, free popcorn and hot dogs, this year’s beach party included the inaugural cardboard boat regatta. Following the regulations for boat design and approved materials, the crews brought their decorated vessels to the shoreline for all the beachgoers to view.
With the start of the race the crew members, many wearing themed costumes, launched their boats with nervous anticipation of how well their custommade watercrafts would perform. A few took on significant water just yards from shore. Others found their stride, circled around the target marker buoy and made it successfully back to shore. The large crowds watching the race from the beach as well as from the numerous boats, kayaks and paddle boards that had gathered surrounding the swim area, showed their appreciation with rounds of loud applause. From the overwhelming fun and laughter that the cardboard boat race generated, it is sure to be a regular and important part of future Monterey Kid’s Beach Parties
—Tom Mensi for the Parks and Rec Commission, Monterey News, October, 2025
“I was just dreaming about a time, not too far off, where the sun shines, the water is warm, and the boats don’t need to be ice-breakers. ”
