Improvements on Tap for Puffer’s Pond, Mount Pollux, Hickory Ridge, and Sweet Alice

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Conservation Commission, January 14, 2026

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. 

Present
Bruce Stedman (acting chair), Jason Dorney, Andrey Guidera, Tina Smith, Sarah Matthews, Carol McNeary, and Rachel Loeffler.

Staff: Erin Jacque (Conservation Agent) and Dave Ziomek (Assistant Town Manager)

Safety Improvements Planned for Puffers Pond Dike and Dam
Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek reported that the town has received state funds and plans to use some town money to closely examine the condition of the Puffers Pond dam and dike and make the improvements needed to improve public safety. He said that in the next several months, the town will focus on the design and permitting necessary for that work. 

The town has begun the outreach required under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), with more information to be released in the future. The Conservation Department has received suggestions for improving the area, such as dredging the pond, improving the beach area, and improving the surrounding trails; but Ziomek stressed that, although staff may begin to work on some of these plans, the central focus for now is on the public safety piece of the dam and the dike. “That is the part of the project we have state funds for,” he stated. The other improvements are several years away, but he hopes the town can complete several phases to improve Puffers Pond, both ecologically and for recreation and community use. It’s a cooling center for the town, and many thousands of people use it throughout the year,“ he said.

Observatory Signage Coming to Mount Pollux this Spring

Although the town enlarged and improved the parking area and created a small ADA-accessible path on Mount Pollux last year, the planned signage for the landform observatory project was not installed. Ziomek recently met with Thomas Johnston regarding that project, which would highlight the area’s geologic history and the site’s nearly 360-degree view from the summit. 

An informational kiosk and signage are planned for installation in the spring, and the Pioneer Valley Landform Observatory has a website with additional information and virtual reality views through geologic time. 

Pumphouse at Hickory Ridge to Be Removed
The pumphouse that was used to irrigate the golf course at Hickory Ridge will be removed this spring. The pumphouse extracted water from the river through a large pipe and distributed it through the irrigation system. The project is being funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the Connecticut River Conservancy. 

The plan is to remove all of the structures associated with the pumphouse and then repair the area damaged by the pumping activity and restore the riverbank.

Three buildings from the golf course remain on the site. Ziomek said that the one closest to West Pomeroy Lane is in good shape and will probably be used for storage. A second shed will be removed, and no decision has been made on the third structure. 

There is no date yet for the grand opening of the Hickory Ridge recreation area. Ziomek said that bids are being solicited for the construction of a bridge over the Fort River to provide access to the site from the north. That needs to be completed as does the 27-acre solar installation long under construction by Pure Sky.

Trail Improvements for Sweet Alice Conservation Area
The town plans two improvements to the trails at the Sweet Alice Conservation Area off of Bay Road. The first is the installation of temporary timber mats to form a bog bridge at the site of an intermittent drainage into the Plum Brook Pond. Vehicles such as tractors, mowers, and pickup trucks need to traverse this area for maintenance, and when it is wet, they create ruts in the adjacent wetlands. The town will lay timber mats and install decking over the area to address this issue. No permanent changes will be made.

In another area, a boardwalk will be laid over a part of the trail that is often wet. No digging or permanent alteration will be needed. This work is being done in cooperation with the Kestrel Land Trust, whose headquarters are adjacent to the conservation area.

Both of these measures, as well as the removal of the pumphouse at Hickory Ridge, were approved without objection, although Rachel Loeffler abstained on the changes at Sweet Alice because she is an abutter.

Drought Declared for the Area Again

On January 12, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs declared that the Connecticut River Valley area was in a mild drought. This level restricts non-essential water use. For the Conservation Commission, this means that the commission cannot do wetlands delineations until spring, when the snow melts. 
The January 28 meeting of the Conservation Commission will be devoted to reviewing and hopefully accepting the proposed new land-use regulations. See here and here.