We have heard from many of you – that aquatic plants are your primary concern regarding the future of West Hill Pond – so that is the main topic of this issue. We encourage you to read the articles in this Newsletter and reach out to the authors of those articles to get more information. A logical question is, “are aquatic plants a new issue, or are we simply more aware?” Fortunately, we’ve had a Consulting Limnologist engaged for many years conducting surveys and documenting our aquatic plant communities. A few examples (abridged) from his most recent report are illustrative.
- Large-leaf pondweed which was found for the first time in 2008, has spread to 15 locations around the shoreline.
- Water weed which was first found in 2008 – while it has not increased in abundance – has the potential for robust growth.
- In 2010, 8 new species of rooted aquatic plants were found in the lake, 6 of which have the potential for robust growth. New species have not been discovered since then.
- Red-leaf pondweed initially was found at only one site along the southeastern shore, now occurs at 10 locations around the lake – not including a very dense bed in the eastern cove. This eastern cove bed, first noticed in 2008, dense by 2010 – just two years after discovery.
- Tape-grass first listed on the 2002 survey due to presence of 2 isolated plants, now forms a continuous band along the southwest shore.
- In 2002, aquatic plants were found at only 20 locations around the lake, with often only one species being found at each of these sites. In 2012, ten years later, aquatic plants were noted at over 80 locations in the lake.
[click to expand map view]
Why the changes?
Off the record conversations with aquatic scientists offer remarkably consistent theories. Runoff from stormwater creates the silt that aquatic vascular plants require to root. Increases in nutrients over time work towards a “tipping point” where growth of a wide range of aquatic plants can be supported by the aquatic environment. A greater variety of aquatic plants is found more widely distributed in New England, providing a source allowing boats and trailers to introduce new plants to the lake.Preventing the proliferation of aquatic plants will require addressing these above contributing factors, in addition to mitigating the aquatic plant communities themselves. We expect both approaches to be expensive both in terms of dollars and resource effort. But we also feel confident that taking a smart and studied approach can eventually reverse the process to a very acceptable outcome. Please read Pete Humphrey and Steve Unger’s in-depth article on aquatic plants to learn more.
By Bill Adamsen, Pete Humphrey, and Steve Unger
