Invasive Aquatic Weed Found In Taunton Lake

By Andrew Gorosko

Recent water testing has shown that Taunton Lake, a 127-acre spring-fed lake in northwest Newtown that is ringed with private properties, contains a growth of milfoil, a widespread pesky aquatic weed that has infested many lakes and ponds in North America.

George Benson, the town’s land use enforcement officer who also is an aquatic biologist, said that an area of about four acres in the southeastern section of the lake exhibits a growth of milfoil.

Because the invasive species grows quickly, it would be best to take steps to counter the infestation before it spreads to other parts of the lake, he said. The section of the lake with the weed problem is near the lake pumphouse that lies about 800 feet northwest of the intersection of Taunton Lake Road and Castle Hill Road.

The presence of milfoil is a common problem in lakes and ponds where there are public boat launches. Taunton Lake does not have a public launch. Candlewood Lake has a heavy infestation of milfoil, as does Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah.

Mr Benson theorizes that the milfoil spread to Taunton Lake within the past few years. The weed was most likely transported to Taunton Lake when milfoil fragments arrived there on the hull of a boat that had been in another lake that had a milfoil infestation, he said.

The presence of milfoil will require that the whole lake be inspected annually to check for its presence and spread, he said. “It’s an aquatic weed…It grows so quickly,” he said.

The milfoil now in Taunton Lake is in areas with water depths of three to four feet, he said. If left unchecked, the invasive plant could spread across the whole lake, he said. The plant growth can become very dense, damaging the ecosystem of a lake, he said.

The growth of milfoil can become so dense that its stops the forward motion of a paddled canoe, he said.

A state permit to spread aquatic weed killer is being sought, Mr Benson said. Depending upon the judgment of a firm in the business of controlling aquatic weed growth, it may or may not be necessary to apply such chemicals by mid-July, he said.

“I think at this point we can control it [milfoil], but it’s going to be an ongoing battle,” Mr Benson said. “The sooner, the better,” he added.

Chemical applications of herbicide, or weed killer, to control milfoil can cost approximately $1,000 per acre, he said. To control a four-acre growth of milfoil may require applying chemicals to six acres of the lake, he added.

A decision on whether to apply chemicals this summer would need to be made soon, he said.

Besides herbicide applications, there are mechanical methods to control aquatic weed growth, he noted.

Milfoil spreads rapidly when cut, Mr Benson said, noting that the propellers of powerboats can inadvertently shred the weed and spread its growth. Electric-powered trolling motors are allowed on boats on Taunton Lake, but not gasoline-powered outboard engines.

The lake’s average depth is 20 feet, with the deepest areas at 30 feet. The lake has an 850-acre watershed. Taunton Lake feeds Pond Brook, which carries water to Lake Lillinonah.

Mr Benson suggested that warning buoys be posted in areas of Taunton Lake where milfoil is present to keep boaters away.

Mr Benson said he was surprised to find milfoil in Taunton Lake because the lake is not open to the general public. Milfoil infestations often are seen near public boat launches, he said.

The town owns a small piece of land on Taunton Lake, but public access is difficult.

Denny Donahue, the warden of the Newtown Fish & Game Club, said the club’s leadership will be discussing the milfoil problem and how to best deal with it. The club’s members have been informed of the problem, he said. The 350-member club has a private boat launch on the northwest side of the lake.

“We are going to do something. That’s apparent,” Mr Donahue said. The club will be seeking professional advice on how best to manage the milfoil problem, he added.

“It’s a fairly healthy lake and we want to keep it that way,” he said.

Herbicide applications are one of several options that might be pursued for weed control, he said.

“It’s horrible,” said Pat Barkman of the milfoil’s presence.

Ms Barkman is the volunteer conservation person for the Taunton Lake Association. The association is comprised of property owners who own lake frontage

“We all want to work together,” said Ms Barkman of the need for a unified effort to control the weed growth.

The lake association’s executive panel will be meeting soon to discuss how best to deal with the presence of milfoil, she said.