Taking On The Weeds In Taunton Lake

By Andrew Gorosko

The roar of a speedy air boat traversing the normally tranquil Taunton Lake on Monday alerted lakeside residents that something out of the ordinary was happening at the scenic 127-acre spring-fed body of water.

Gerald Smith, head of Aquatic Control Technology, Inc, aided by two assistants, sat at the controls of the air boat, which repeatedly crossed the southeast corner of the lake, spreading an aquatic weed killer on the lake bottom to control the growth of the pesky invasive weed known as milfoil.

A network of tubes extending from a storage tank onboard the air boat spread the liquefied herbicide known as Renovate 3 (triclopyr) into the lake, where it will be absorbed by the milfoil, killing it. The Newtown Fish & Game Club, which has a private boat launch on the northwest shore of the lake, covered costs for the herbicide project.

Milfoil, an invasive plant that originated in Eurasia, has infested many lakes and ponds in North America. In this area, there are sizable milfoil infestations in Lake Zoar, Lake Lillinonah, and Candlewood Lake. The weed recently was discovered at Taunton Lake.

Due to the herbicide application, the private Taunton Lake was closed for use on Monday, July 30, but reopened for swimming, fishing, and boating on the following day.

Town Land Use Enforcement Officer George Benson, who is an aquatic biologist, has coordinated the project to control the growth of milfoil in the lake.

Until further notice, lakeside residents should not use lake water for irrigation purposes, according to Mr Benson. Residents should not drink the water, he added.

In mid-August, lake water quality testing will be done to determine the levels of herbicide remaining in the water. Lakeside residents will be notified when it is all right to again use lake water for irrigation, he said.

Later in August, scuba and/or snorkel divers would remove by hand the isolated patches of milfoil that have been found in scattered spots across the lake, he said.

Mr Benson urged that for the time being, lake users avoid the southeastern corner of the lake where the herbicide has been placed. The treated area lies to the southeast of orange marker buoys afloat in the lake.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a permit to allow herbicide to be placed in Taunton Lake to combat the milfoil infestation.

The discovery of milfoil at Taunton Lake will require regular lake inspections to check for the weed’s presence and extent. If left unchecked, the spread of milfoil can damage the ecosystem of a lake.

The lake has an 850-acre watershed. Taunton Lake feeds Pond Brook, which carries water to Lake Lillinonah.