Dear Fellow Groton Lakes Association Members And Friends,

The Great Ponds Advisory Committee (GPAC) pushed for and had approved a plan to tackle the ongoing weed infestation and mud islands in Baddacook Pond. A mechanical solution was put forward following a denial by the Water Commissioners to allow an herbicidal treatment. A Notice of Intent (NOI) was filed and an application for funds made to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for a three year $300,000 program to tackle these problems. At Spring Town meeting, the first two years were successfully voted in.

Jim Luening, a Baddacook resident, chair of the GPAC and Vice-President of the Groton Lakes Association (GLA) has been the lead person on this program. Jim has spent many hours dealing with the various bureaucracies to bring this program forward. Bill Strickland, also a Baddacook resident and Treasurer of the GLA, has been the lead person for years for receiving permission for use of the harvester on Baddacook Pond, operating this machine for several years as a volunteer and currently augmenting the work being done by SOLitude by continuing to operate the harvester during the hydroraking phase of the program. In addition, Bill has spent many hours repairing and maintaining this complex machine to maximize its operational potential. These time consuming efforts can never receive enough praise, so Kudos to both of them for the diligent toil to navigate the bureaucracy in order to improve and protect this valuable water resource.

Thanks also go to Jack McCafferty, Water Commissioner and Lost Lake resident, who has worked behind the scenes with Jim Luening and the Water Department. Thanks to Jack’s efforts, the Water Department has become more of a water resource partner. For Baddacook last year, they have helped with planning, the project bid process and contributed funds for the hydroraking. The plan going forward also includes Water Department help with access locations to Baddacook.

On September 22nd the second phase, hydroraking of the mud islands and debris that so clog areas of this pond. The images below show cleaning up the Baddacook Boat Ramp.

SOLitude was also surveying the results of the spring spot treatment at Lost Lake/ Knops Pond. I had the opportunity to talk with the biologist. We have had very good success keeping the Fanwort or Cabomba away since 2013, however, SOLitude found a number of very healthy Cabomba plants tucked near lily pads in parts of the lake. We knew that we could not eradicate this weed completely and that it was a matter of time that it would reappear. Their year-end report has been issued, so we will have time to decide how we will treat next spring. However, it will not be inexpensive. Those of you have not contributed to our membership drive need to step up so we will have the funding available to keep our lakes clean. Our next fund drive will be in the spring. Please give as generously as you can and thank you.

The residents of Duck Pond have also put together their own proposal for Community Preservation funds to aerate the pond to try and increase dissolved oxygen to slow down the eutrophication of this small, shallow pond. We welcome their participation with the Groton Lakes Association and the Great Ponds Advisory Committee. We will report on their progress in the next newsletter. Please come to next town meeting and support their proposal with your vote.

In the meantime, we have attached Solitude’s year end reports for Lost Lake/ Knops Pond and Baddacook Pond. They are short documents and easy to digest. I hope all members will take the time to look at them to understand what our association is doing to help preserve and protect our ponds and the importance of everyone’s participation.

-Alex