Photo by Jon Sullivan via Flickr
| Four acres of the lake near the marina will be treated within a week for hydrilla verticilatta, also known as water thyme. This is an emergency treatment following local discovery of the weed last month. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection approved the plan on Monday. Hydrilla is most commonly found in southern states but was detected in the Connecticut River a few years ago. It likely came to the Twin Lakes on a visiting boat. Signs will be posted around the water when more details are available. The lake water should not be used for irrigation for three days but will remain safe for swimmers. Activities at the marina and the Twin Lake Beach Club beach will be restricted for about three hours while the weed killer, ProcellaCOR, is being applied. West Twin will not be affected. Hydrilla is a new threat to Twin Lakes. The board worked with State Rep. Maria Horn and First Selectman Curtis Rand in petitioning the state for swift action. We have also engaged with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. These are the two agencies overseeing remediation measures in the Connecticut River, which is being choked in places. We have more information on our website, including an 18-minute video we highly recommend viewing. Now that hydrilla has a toehold in Twin Lakes, it likely is a weed we will be battling for years. The board is working on a comprehensive herbicide plan for next year with a range of experts. This additional treatment is an unforeseen toll on the TLA budget. We will ask the state and the town to pick up some of the costs. |