Northampton RDA Work Description 2016 (1).pdfWork Description:
Water Chestnut Survey and Control
The Species: Water chestnut, an invasive aquatic plant, degrades wildlife habitat by crowding out and shading na-
tive plants used for food and shelter and by reducing dissolved oxygen. This species impacts still or slow moving
water bodies in up to sixteen feet of water and has the capability of completely covering a shallow pond, cove or
lake (see photo page at end of this document). As an annual that spreads from seeds, it is possible to control this
species by preventing seeds from dropping, as well as exhausting any seed bed (“seedbank”) that may already be
established. (Once seeds are introduced, any seed can sprout in one of the next 12 years, so it can take 12 years or
more to exhaust the seedbank.)
Overview: Controlling Spread within the Connecticut River Watershed: The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wild-
life Refuge (Conte Refuge) has been working with partners, volunteers and youth crews to keep invasive water
chestnut from spreading within the Connecticut River watershed. As new population came to our attention, this
initiative has expanded to 13 towns in Massachusetts involving 37 water bodies in Massachusetts and northern
Connecticut. This is a longterm project that attempts to find and remove plants before they drop seeds and keep
existing populations from spreading by exhausting the seedbank.
The hand-pulling protocol used for removal is that recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Conserva-
tion and Recreation and approved by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Standard Oper-
ating Procedures: Using Hand Pulling and Benthic Barriers to Control Pioneer Populations of Non-Native Aquatic
Species -- A guide for volunteers. 2007. DCR Lakes and Ponds Program. (see attached excerpts from DEP and DCR
guidance documents). In 2003, water chestnut was identified by DCR as one of the species that should be re-
sponded to rapidly. See also a 2003 letter from Mr. Lealdon Langley, MA DEP, regarding the appropriateness of a
negative determination of applicability for pioneer infestations. In communications with Mr. Langley in 2015, he
said that this information is still valid.
Water Chestnut in Northampton (History): Northampton has several known water chestnut sites (see Maps 1a and
1b) They are mostly centered in the Oxbow area , but water chestnut also occurs at Fitzgerald Lake. A variety of
partners are working with volunteers on hand-pulling efforts. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
and Massachusetts Audubon share in the responsibility for control activities in the Oxbow area, though Mass Audu-
bon has solely overseen work through the years in Hulberts Pond. The two “borrow pits”, Magnolia Pond and Trian-
gle Pond are now owned by the Conte Refuge, though the Refuge has always taken responsibility for water chestnut
there. Fitzgerald Lake activities are overseen by the Broad Brook Coalition. Partners’ staff (or committee members)
trained volunteers and Conte Refuge’s Youth Conservation Corps have been the prime workforce.
Figure 1. Amount of water chestnut removed from Hulbert’s Pond and Danks Pond at Mass Audubon’s Arcadia Sanctuary
Original infestation
Figure 1 shows the successful diminishing population at Arcadia Sanctuary as Mass Audubon depletes the seedbank
there. Other sites are also responding well to the removal efforts though moderate resurgences are experienced. We
think that Mass Audubon is especially successful at Arcadia because they hold two pulls during the growing season
which prevents seed drop from plants that might have gone unnoticed during the first round.
Continuing the Water Chestnut project in Northampton:
Hand-pulling: Partners represented by the Conte Refuge seek approval to continue this work if enough help can be
secured. If community volunteers can be located, we are more likely to be more thorough and thus more quickly de-
plete the existing seedbank. We would appreciate any recommendations the Conservation Commission can provide for
connecting with potential citizen volunteers or local organized groups or businesses that might like to help with
scouting and pulling.
Timing: Work could occur anytime between late May and the end of September, with most of the work taking place in
late June through mid-August when the plants are typically visible and haven’t yet dropped seeds.
Disposal: The plants that Conte Refuge gathers will be transported in durable plastic garbage bags and added to our
water chestnut pile on our refuge property in Hadley. Others may be piled near sites, but safely away from the water.
Plants degrade and volume diminishes quickly. Mass Audubon conposts plants or disposes of them on Audubon prop-
erty outside of the floodplain. Broad Brook Coalition disposes of water chestnut by piling it for decomposition in wooded areas
of the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area at least 500 feet from the lake shore.
Prevention of New Populations: The hope is that the surveying of more water bodies within the area will become feasi-
ble. Catching new populations before they set seeds is essential to preventing a massive problem that is unfeasible to
control by hand.
LANDOWNERS
A copy of the full RDA document is being sent to the following landowners:
1. Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge’s Mill River Divsion
39 -037-001 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PARSONS SWAMP RD
46 -060-700 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PARSONS SWAMP RD
46 -062-001 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FIRST SQUARE RD
(applicant)
2. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
45 -010-001 MASSACHUSETTS AUDUBON PYNCHON MEADOW RD
45 -067-001 MASSACHUSETTS AUDUBON SOCIETY OLD SPRINGFIELD RD
3. Marina Bay
45 -058-001 DUDA MATHIAS S ISLAND RD
4. Section of Oxbow area cut off by I-91
46 -058-001 GLAZEWSKI HELEN S & MARY 503 MOUNT TOM RD
5 Section of Oxbow area cut off by I-91
46 -057-001 PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA ISLAND RD
6. Fitzgerald Lake
City of Northampton
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