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Ellington volunteers, town and contractors ramp up Crystal Lake milfoil removal after 2024 surge
Summary
Volunteers and the town increased suction-harvesting and secured a $60,000 ARPA award to tackle a 2024 surge in invasive milfoil at Crystal Lake, expanding hours, clearing additional acres and seeking further DEEP grant support.
Crystal Lake volunteers, with town support and contracted divers, escalated efforts this year to remove invasive aquatic plants after an unusually large growth event at the lake dam in 2024. Dave Arts, president of the Crystal Lake Association, said the association funded an emergency suction-harvesting response and later secured $60,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the town to expand removal work earlier in the season.
The Crystal Lake Association, which Mr. Arts said exists "to protect, preserve, and enhance the lake and the surrounding area," runs long-standing volunteer water-quality monitoring and plant surveys. Volunteers collect temperature and dissolved-oxygen profiles and take samples at 1-, 7- and 14-meter depths for laboratory analysis. Dr. George Nachline of Northeast Aquatic Research provides annual reports, Mr. Arts said.
The immediate problem is…
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