Expanding the Upland Review Area around water and wetlands is back on the agenda of the Salisbury Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission. Four years ago, the commission proposed to widen the review zone. That proposal met stiff resistance from waterfront property owners, and the effort stalled.
In reviving the measure, the commission has asked the lake associations in town to weigh in on review area distances each deems appropriate. This request acknowledges that shorelines have significantly different topographies, lot sizes, and more. The lake associations were asked to submit their proposals to the commission, which has said review areas for each lake need not be uniform.
The Twin Lakes Association has been monitoring this issue from the start, and after investigation, the board voted unanimously to support a rules change giving the Wetlands Commission authority over activities within 100 feet of the shoreline. That would be an increase from 75 feet but is scaled back from the 300 feet proposed earlier.
The TLA board’s support is contingent on the commission formalizing a proposed list of homeowner activities that would not require review. These would include things like routine lawn maintenance, care for shrubs and trees, and other activities associated with daily living, including gardening.
The TLA board settled on 100 feet for three principal reasons:
–Many lots on Twin Lakes are so small that 300 feet would encompass the entire property, resulting in potentially significant burdens for lakefront homeowners who simply want to maintain and enjoy their space.
–State scientists have found that beyond 100 feet, landscaping and other activities likely have little or no impact on water quality or erosion. Inside 100 feet, the likelihood of harm is higher. The state recommends a 100-foot review area in most cases.
–Waterfront property owners are already subject to a 300-foot overlay protection zone requiring Planning and Zoning approval for any earth-moving projects, including construction and septic system replacement.
For a fuller explanation of the 100-foot review area, read the opinion of former Wetlands Commissioner and long-time lake resident Peter Neely.
The Wetlands Commission is expected to vote on the rules change on March 24. If approved, the proposal will go to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for comments. A public hearing is set for May 12. TLA members are encouraged to learn more, follow the Wetlands Commission activities, and feel free to speak up at the hearing.
The TLA board reached out to representatives of the Salisbury Lakefront Homeowners group, the primary organization that in the past opposed a broader review area. The group has blessed the TLA endorsement.
The Wetlands Commission proposal and more TLA business will be discussed in a Zoom town hall on the evening of April 30. Please mark your calendar. It’s been a busy off-season for the TLA board, and there is much to discuss.
Authorities from around the state and beyond will be watching closely this year as the TLA steps up the battle with invasive hydrilla. Treatments are scheduled to begin in May and be repeated every three weeks into September.
The treatments will have little impact on lake activities. The herbicide Sonar (fluridone) has a wide safety margin for people or animals in the low dosages that will be used. Sonar has been used in countless waterbodies in the U.S. for over 40 years.
Lakegoers will again be asked to steer around buoys marking hydrilla beds. They may notice the more frequent presence of fan boats applying the herbicides. The pass-through under the bridge at the north end of Isola Bella will again be fenced to try to prevent hydrilla from spreading. Boat launch monitors at the marina will return. Last year, monitors inspected nearly 1,200 boats and found three suspected hydrilla fragments before entering the lake. They found five confirmed cases upon exit. Keeping hydrilla from entering the lake is critical.
Based on plant surveys late last year, hydrilla is confined to the east side of East Twin, largely near the marina and north to the state boat launch, and into the Lilly pads. But last fall, the plant crept wider and into deeper water.
Other strains of hydrilla have been found elsewhere in Connecticut lakes. But Twin Lakes was the first to document the presence of the Connecticut River strain. Scientists and state and local authorities have a keen interest in the results of our management program.
The more aggressive approach to hydrilla this year will bring greater costs. The good news is that the TLA budget has been fortified by successful fundraising last summer and fall, which brought in $285,000 with more pledges outstanding. The TLA has won a series of grants totaling more than $200,000 over two years. This is the product of many hours of work by TLA board members led by Jackie Blombach and Erica Cohn. We owe thanks to our generous lake community and the Town of Salisbury, which continues to support costly lake management practices.
Last year, the TLA spent $363,000 from the general fund to support lake management. This year, costs will rise again to around $425,000-$450,000, a level expected to hold steady for the next few years. Given this large ongoing expense, the TLA will continue to seek donations and pledges. The TLA budget and general finances will be discussed at the April 30 Zoom meeting.
The goal is to eradicate hydrilla. We expect early permit approval for treatments, a positive sign that we are on good terms with the state and that DEEP recognizes the menace of hydrilla. Filing the paperwork and doing the research needed to secure timely permits is a big task. We thank board member Russ Conklin for his dedication and leadership in this matter. Our program this year will be like one used at Coventry Lake in Tolland County, where they eliminated hydrilla over seven years. After stopping treatments for a year, some small beds were discovered, and they have resumed treatments.
Hydrilla is not the only invasive plant we are fighting. Mainstays, including curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian milfoil, remain in focus. The TLA is also actively monitoring the threat from cyanobacteria, which has begun to foul northern waters as the climate warms. We are pleased to have board member Jessica Swartz on the watchtower, attending seminars on this potential scourge and developing plans for enhanced local monitoring.
This year’s photo contest theme is “Lake Life.” In the tumult of our world, it is sometimes easy to forget how to take it easy and enjoy our surroundings. But we can do that every day at the lake. Submit your photo on Instagram #TLAphoto2025 or email to dankadlec17@gmail.com. The deadline is July 31. Two winners will receive $50 each. The contest is open to anyone. Multiple submissions are accepted. We encourage early submissions.
Save the date for our April 30 Zoom town hall, and also at Isola Bella the June 14 membership meeting and Aug. 2 annual meeting to be followed by the 125th annual Twin Lakes Day festivities and later by a dance party celebrating the generosity and community spirit that allows us to invest in our natural environment.