Chilmark Pond 2026 October Cut Chilmark Pond (CHP) was successfully opened to the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, October 5, 2026, and was still open as of October 28, 2026 marking 24 days and counting! The Chilmark Pond Association used an excavator to breach the barrier beach, creating a temporary channel connecting the pond to the ocean. Photo courtesy of Ollie Becker Once the opening is made, pond water rushes into the ocean, beginning a rapid drainage phase that lowers the pond’s elevation...

Pond Visits During the 2026 field season (May–October), Chilmark Pond Foundation’s science team visited the pond to conduct water quality monitoring on 22 days. This is the same number of sampling days as last year! The science team out on Chilmark Pond lower basin collecting data Water Quality Samples During a standard sampling day, the science team travels by boat to 11 established monitoring stations throughout the Chilmark Pond ecosystem. At each station, a water sample is...

If you've been boating on Chilmark Pond recently, you've probably noticed an increase in submerged plants, especially if it found its way around your propeller. This dominant species in the Pond is widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima), a submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) commonly found in brackish waters. It has narrow, threadlike leaves and slender branching stems that can grow up to three feet long. This summer, dense patches of widgeon grass have become widespread throughout the Pond,...