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Date: 8/16/2023
LUDLOW — Pond Committee Chair Judy Breault announced that Harris Pond received treatment on Aug. 10.
The contractor applied a treatment for the invasive water chestnut weeds as well as the overpopulated lily pads.
“Its amazing,” Breault said, “I am so excited. It’s been two years in the making. To finally have the chance to do the treatment and I am really excited to see the results and share with the community the difference.”
The treatment included dumping a water chestnut single treatment chemical into the water, but Breault said it is safe for humans, domestic animals and the marine life.
Harris Pond is mostly used by canoers or kayakers for fishing and is not often used for swimming because there is no public access.
At the end of summer 2022, the firm Water and Wetland conducted a survey on the vegetation, water quality and algae in Haviland, Harris, Murphy, Minechoag and Alden ponds.
The committee made Harris Pond its main priority because of the severity of the invasive plants, water chestnuts, other weeds and a low water level.
Water chestnuts drop their seeds in mid-August and can germinate for up to 10 to 12 years, so this treatment will kill the plant before it seeds, removing the opportunity for more plants to form.
Breault added the treatment will not impact wildlife but instead, improve the oxygen level in the water.
She said, “The lily pads will clear out and it will bring the oxygen level back into the pond for the fish life, and it will look better and smell better. The water chestnut has a really horrible odor when it blooms.”
Harris Pond will require annual treatments for a few years due to the invasive weed in that pond, according to Breault but added that each year the pond condition will greatly improve.
Breault said, “In the coming years, because of those seeds that will continue to germinate that have been in the sediment, we will probably continue to see that weed each year and so we will have to probably treat again for two to three years and hopefully at that point we can get it to a manageable level where we can have people volunteers to pull that weed out and not use chemicals.”
Breault added the committee will continue to monitor each year and treat accordingly.
The Pond Committee is also continuing to work on treatment plans for Haviland, Alden, Murphy and Minechoag ponds.
Breault said that the committee still has to go through the permitting process for Murphy and Alden ponds.
They have the permit for Haviland Pond but missed the window to apply an effective treatment.
“The ideal time to treat Haviland pond is in the spring so April, May time period. Treating it at this point in the year is I don’t want to say useless but is not as effective,” Breault said.
When it comes to Minechoag pond, there are some potential protected plant species around the pond that has resulted in the permitting process requiring a bit more work and time.
Breault said the committee is meeting with the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Sept. 5 to provide updates and discuss more treatment plans going forward.