Invasives Removal Community Update

6:30 pm on Thursday, February 8th, 2024, at the Cambridge Boat Club

Thank you to the 30+ attendees who joined us last week at the Cambridge Boat Club to hear an update on the Charles River Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan, DCR’s 5-year plan to control the growth of invasive aquatic plants in the Charles River’s Lakes District and Lower Basin. This was the second annual community update meeting co-hosted by Charles River Watershed (CRWA), Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (Mass DCR), and SOLitude Lake Management. 

Speakers included CRWA Senior River Restoration Program Manager Lisa Kumpf, Mass DCR Water Resources Scientist Kara Sliwokski, and SOLitude Lake Management aquatic ecologist Keith Gazaille, who summarized the pre-and post-treatment survey results of the Lakes District and Lower Basin from 2023 and provided recommendations for future management. 

Aquatic invasive species are destructive to the Charles River ecosystem as they reduce biodiversity, impair water quality, and threaten aquatic life. Certain invasive plants can threaten the recreational use of the river by growing dense vegetation, putting rowers and boaters at risk.

The 2023 management season focused on reducing fanwort, the dominant plant in the Lakes District, using Sonar herbicide which works slowly over many months to degrade the plants as they grow. Due to the extreme rainfall and high flows we had last summer, it was difficult to maintain high concentrations of herbicide in the water and the treatment had limited success, but still saw an 8% reduction in fanwort cover. In 2024, the management will focus again on reducing fanwort growth in the Lakes District, along with spot treatments in the Lower Basin as necessary. 

Please consider donating to support this year’s efforts.

DCR will match CRWA contributions 2:1 up to $50,000. CRWA’s goal is to raise just over $16,000 to reach $50,000 annually. Please make a gift to support a healthy, invasive-free Charles River. This work is made possible by the generous support of our donors! 

Are you interested in learning more about our invasive management work? Explore our invasive management projects and subscribe to our quarterly invasives e-newsletter, Clearing the Current, to stay up-to-date with news and events.