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Commission approves three-year pond management plan after DEP review comments
Summary
The commission closed a public hearing and approved a three-year order of conditions for pond vegetation management to be performed by Solitude, accepting DEP’s comments on aquatic-vegetation thresholds and requiring an appendix with the company’s management commitments.
The Blackstone Conservation Commission on Jan. 15 voted to approve a three-year pond management program and issue an order of conditions after Solitude (lake management company) addressed comments from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Tanner Poole, associate project manager for Solitude, and a company representative described the pond-monitoring and treatment approach and said the pond would be visited approximately every two weeks from April through September. Poole told the commission that native species observed in a recent survey included arrowhead and water lilies and that the firm uses a visual evaluation for coverage; Solitude advised treatment if plant or algal cover approaches levels that reduce open-water function.
DEP requested that the applicant clarify thresholds and post-treatment targets: the agency’s guidance calls for higher wildlife value when open water exceeds a specified portion of the surface and when native aquatic plants cover a target percentage. Solitude representatives told the commission they aim to keep native plant coverage below levels that interfere with pond function, and that they maintain a zero-tolerance policy for invasive aquatic species.
Commissioners asked about monitoring frequency, dissolved-oxygen impacts of treatments, and whether the firm stocks fish; Solitude responded that the pond is visited biweekly during the growing season and that treatments are calibrated to avoid oxygen crashes by limiting herbicide use and by using visual thresholds rather than fixed large-scale applications.
The commission closed the public hearing and voted unanimously to approve the notice of intent and issue a three-year order of conditions to permit Solitude’s management visits and treatment as needed. The commission also requested a written letter on company practices to be appended to the order of conditions for the record.
What it covers: The order authorizes a three-year management and monitoring program with biweekly visits during the growing season and allows treatment events guided by Solitude’s monitoring and DEP-aligned thresholds. The commission asked that DEP comments be included in the record as an appendix to the order.
