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08/23/2016 04:00 PMAfter significant efforts were made recently to cut down on the invasive weed species in Lake Quonnipaug, Friends of Lake Quonnipaug (FOQ) and town officials are now turning their attention toward possibly developing a long-term care plan for the lake. Initial conversations began at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Aug. 15.
This summer, invasive weeds were successfully removed from the swimming area, through the use of benthic blankets that smother the weeds, and from sections in the north and middle of the lake with herbicides.
The project to remove the weeds was made possible by combining a donation from the Guilford Foundation, a state grant, and matched town funding. In January, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced Guilford will receive $20,000 for the remediation of aquatic invasive species at Lake Quonnipaug.
FOQ President Joan Stettbacher said the friends are very pleased with the remediation of weeds that had previously been choking several sections of the lake.
“We are really happy with the results of the herbicides and the barriers at the beach area,” she said. “I have spoken to many people about it, including different fishermen who come in from the north end, and they are just saying what a big difference they see.”
Members of FOQ went out this weekend to help clean up the dead weeds left floating in the lake. While FOQ members said the treatment was a success, there is more long-term work that needs to be done to protect the lake.
“We would still like to have some more areas treated and we know the budget process is starting up again and we want to make sure [the selectmen] keep a line item in the Parks & Recreation budget,” Stettbacher said. “We also would like to help in developing a five-year maintenance plan in conjunction with the Parks & Recreation Department. We would like to work together to help build a roadmap toward a future plan.”
First Selectman Joe Mazza agreed there needs to be a line item for Lake Quonnipaug in the budget.
“I am delighted to hear it has worked so well,” he said. “We will continue to put a line item in Parks & Recreation budget from here on in to maintain the lake. It doesn’t pay to do it one year and then forget about it.”
While the weed remediation was a success, Stettbacher said there are projects that still need attention, specifically at the south end of the lake. Studies over the years revealed the south end of the lake had shrunk to a depth of four to eight feet and had become overgrown. Questions have been raised about the possibility of dredging that section of the lake, but Mazza said there have been obstacles.
“I am still of the opinion it should be dredged and [Town Engineer] Jim Portley has said for years that the dam has to be rebuilt and the road should be raised and those culverts made larger, but the problem is DEEP will not let us touch the lake,” he said. “Until we can get them to agree, we can’t do anything.”