Lynn gets funds to combat invasive pond vegetation

When invasive weeds and algae take over a pond, it’s only a matter of time before oxygen levels decrease dramatically and the water body becomes both lifeless and unhealthy.To help ensure that doesn’t happen to Sluice and Flax ponds in Lynn, the city’s representatives on Beacon Hill have secured $40,000 for maintenance for the third consecutive year. The funds from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation are included in the state budget for fiscal 2009.
“Sluice and Flax ponds are popular attractions for boating, swimming, and other recreational activities,” said Sen. Thomas McGee, a member of the Lynn delegation. “It’s important that we continue to fund these maintenance efforts that will help these two resources live up to their full potential.”
According to McGee, the Lynn delegation successfully overrode Gov. Deval Patrick’s veto of the budget appropriation, funds which will be used to combat aggressive aquatic plants and algae in the two ponds. “These nuisances pose both environmental and public safety threats to Sluice and Flax ponds, which are used for a variety of recreational activities,” he said.
Rep. Mark Falzone (D-Saugus) and Rep. Robert Fennell (D-Lynn) reiterated the senator’s view on the importance of keeping the two ponds healthy and sustainable. “Preserving Sluice and Flax ponds for recreational use is key to maintaining the quality of life in Lynn,” Falzone said.
John Kasian, a project manager at the city’s Department of Community Development, said the maintenance strategy differs for the two ponds. “We’re trying to accomplish equal amounts at each pond, but there is a difference in terms of treatment. In Sluice Pond, there is a combination of nuisance native vegetation and also non-native species that were brought in on the hulls of boats,” he said. “In Flax Pond, the problem is mostly that it’s overgrown with lilies and algae.”
To address the introduction of non-indigenous vegetation, Kasian said the city is evaluating a plan to design and build a boat-washing station at the Briarcliff boat launch.
“It comes down to dollars and time, but we are looking at the concept of a washing station because a large part of the treatment in Sluice Pond relates to non-native vegetation. If you can keepthe boats clean by washing them before they go into the water, that would be huge,” Kasian said.
The plan may follow those in place in Maine and other states that require boats to obtain a sticker and pay a small fee to certify their vessels are free of non-native species clinging to the hull or trapped in the bilges.
“This is the third year in a row that we’ll be getting $40,000,” said Kasian, noting that $35,000 was spent the first year on chemical treatments, herbicides and mechanical raking. The remaining $5,000 was used to pay for permitting from the city’s Conservation Commission and the state Department of Environmental Protection.
“Last year, the city contracted with Aquatic Control Technologies of Sutton,” said Kasian. “The company did the chemical treatments and brought along a big raking machine, something that is basically a dredger for ponds.”
Aquatic Control Technologies also prepared a long-range pond maintenance plan at the city’s request. “That plan shows what we have to do on an annual basis because once you start something like this you have to continue,” he said.
In addition to treating the water and eradicating unwanted vegetation, the city is upgrading the fishing area along Broadway, erecting new fencing and landscaping both ponds. “We’d like to make it look better between the fishing area and the Four Winds. We’ll also be replacing the buoys in Sluice Pond and making landscaping improvements around Flax Pond, which is the most visible to the public.”
The Sluice Pond Association and Ward 1 Councilor Wayne Lozzi have been participating in the process, Kasian said.