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Case Studies

Click on any of the projects below to view a brief case study including photos and technical information:

• Quaddick Lake - Thompson, CT
• Saratoga Lake - Saratoga County, NY
• Fawn Lake – Bedford, MA
• Long Pond Cove – Holyoke, MA
• Lake St. Catherine – Poultney/Wells, VT
• Mt. Auburn Cemetery – Watertown, MA
• Spy Pond – Arlington, MA
• Wachusett Reservoir - West Boylston, MA
• Yokum Pond – Becket, MA
• Private Coastal Pond, RI

Project:
Quaddick Lake – Thompson, CT

Client:
Town of Thompson, CT & Quaddick Lake Association

Description:
Aquatic Control has worked with the Quaddick Lake Association at various times to manage nuisance aquatic vegetation having conducted periodic treatments and a diagnostic/feasibility study in 1999. After years of exploring and experimenting with ways to control a troublesome and extensive infestation of invasive variable milfoil and fanwort weed, a major infestation of bladderwort (Utricularia) in 2007 spurned residents into action and the Association lobbied the State Legislature to fund a weed management program. Extensive areas of the lake were effectively treated in 2008 and Aquatic Control had two Airboat treatment crews, guided by GPS, out on the lake for the good part of a day to apply the herbicide. The plan for 2009 is to treat re-growth of bladderwort and to use the pellet formulations Sonar (fluridone) herbicide to control fanwort growth in selected areas.

Before and After Photos of the Quaddick Lake Project	"Bladderwort Species in Quaddick Lake" (PDF)	2008 Quaddick Lake Year-End Report (PDF)

Project:
Saratoga Lake – Saratoga County, NY

Client:
Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District – SLPID

Description:
Saratoga Lake, located in Saratoga County, NY is a nearly 4,000-acre waterbody that has been infested with Eurasian watermilfoil since before the 1980’s. Following demonstration treatments in 2000 and 2003 with the Sonar (fluridone) treatment, Aquatic Control developed a comprehensive Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan as part of an overall lake and watershed management initiative. After extensive permitting by the LA Group, management of the Eurasian watermilfoil began in earnest in 2007 with the treatment of approximately 200-acres in the southern end of the lake using Sonar (fluridone) herbicide pellet formulations. The treatment was successful, but challenging due to the long contact time and multiple applications required for the Sonar herbicide.

The newly registered herbicide Renovate OTF (triclopyr) - which provides a similar level of systemic “root-killing” control of Eurasian watermilfoil but with a much shorter required contact time - was used in 2008 and is again proposed in 2009. Almost 300-acres of the lake’s eastern shoreline was successfully treated in 2008. Milfoil was effectively controlled with no significant impact to the native plant community. A similar milfoil treatment is proposed for the lake’s western shoreline in 2009.

The north shore of Saratoga Lake "before"	Treatment being administered near Snake Hill	Treatment Map	Bathymetry Survey

Project:
Fawn Lake – Bedford, MA

Client:
Town of Bedford, MA – Conservation Commission

Description:
Mechanical raking of nuisance vegetation, predominately waterlilies over approximately two-thirds of this 12 acre pond.

Lake covered with dense growth of waterlilies prior to work	Hydro-Rake at launch/offloading site	Hydro-Rake working with Transport Barge	Map showing priority raking areas used to guide work

Project:
Long Pond Cove – Holyoke, MA

Client:
Town of Holyoke, MA – Conservation Commission, US Fish & Wildlife Service

Description:
Integrated program of mechanical harvesting and herbicide treatment for control of invasive water chestnut in this ~10 cove of the Connecticut River.

Water chestnut (Trapa natans) plant showing floating rosette and seed	Orthophoto of the Log Pond Cove Site	Log Pond Cove covered with water chestnut prior to harvesting/treatment	Aquatic Control’s H6-300 harvester
Aquatic Control’s H7-400 harvester working with the H6-300	Harvester unloading to “containment tub” for loading/disposal

Project:
Lake St. Catherine – Poultney/Wells, VT

Client:
Lake St. Catherine Association

Description:
Design, permit and implement a long term vegetation management program for Eurasian watermilfoil. The initial year of the program entailed multiple treatments of Sonar (fluridone) herbicide of this 1,100 acre lake. A comprehensive, multiple year plan was developed & approved along with pre and post treatment monitoring inspections.

Reviewing final treatment plan and preparing Airboats for launch	Map of Lake St. Catherine showing treatment basins	Airboat applying Sonar herbicide below the water with weighted hoses	Map of actual treatment passes as recorded with our Trimble Differential GPS
Graph of average fluridone concentrations by sampling site	Map of post-treatment vegetation assemblage (September 2004) showing no viable milfoil!

Project:
Mt. Auburn Cemetery – Watertown, MA

Client:
Mt Auburn Cemetery

Description:
Hydro-raking to remove nuisance aquatic vegetation & accumulated organic debris in order to build a submersed “shelf” for a wetland replication project at Willow Pond.

Hydro-Rake being prepared for work	Removing non-native and invasive yellow iris	Preparing pre-planted “mats” for installation on submersed shelf	Submersed shelf one month after planting

Project:
Spy Pond – Arlington, MA

Client:
Town of Arlington – Department of Community Development

Description:
Application of aluminum sulfate (alum) and sodium aluminate for water clarity improvement and nutrient inactivation. Approximately 20,000 gallons of alum and 8,000 gallons of sodium aluminate were applied over ~60-70% of this 102 acre pond. Clarity post-treatment showed an initial increase from ~6-8 feet to greater than 20-feet.

Jar testing apparatus used to plan dosing and buffer requirements for treatment	Alum treatment vessel equipped with tanks, pumping systems and spray boom	Test of the spray boom showing spray pattern created by nozzles	Staging/loading area showing alum and sodium aluminate tank truck
Vessel applying product leaving a “floc” trail	Underwater picture of pond bottom showing settled “floc” in deep water

Project:
Wachusett Reservoir - West Boylston, MA

Client:
MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

Description:
A program of integrated, non-chemical techniques to manage Eurasian watermilfoil in the upper reaches of this important drinking water resource. The techniques of benthic weed barriers, floating fragment barriers, diver hand-harvesting and GPS vegetation mapping were used to control and contain the milfoil to a small forebay of the reservoir.

Map showing project work areas and tasks	Divers installing bottom barrier	Diver emerging from the water covered in milfoil	200 foot long floating fragment barrier used to contain milfoil fragments during work
Summary table of hand-harvesting efforts from 2002-2004

Project:
Yokum Pond – Becket, MA

Client:
Yokum Pond Association

Description:
Detailed vegetation survey conducted to evaluate management alternatives to control a pioneer infestation of Eurasian watermilfoil in this ~100 acre pond.

Download the actual report! [PDF]

Figure showing layout of transects and data points used for the vegetation survey	Figure showing the Vegetation Distribution at the time of the survey

Project:
Private Coastal Pond, RI

Client:
Homeowners Association

Description:
Control and removal of invasive Phragmites growth from the shoreline margins of this small coastal pond.

Herbicide treatment conducted from our Airboat	Herbicide treatment conducted from our Argo amphibious track vehicle	Overview of pond showing areas of treated Phragmites	Closeup view of a stand of Phragmites
Post-treatment and post-cutting view of the pond