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Thompson Lake advocates outline invasive species removal, $400,000 Pine Point campaign and ongoing watershed projects
Summary
The Thompson Lake Environmental Association briefed the board on long-running invasive-species and watershed work: the group said it removed roughly 90% of a major milfoil infestation at Pine Point after a $400,000 campaign, has removed about 600 tons of milfoil since 2008, and is planning additional benthic-barrier work and boat-inspection programs funded in part by a federal 319 grant started in 2025.
Paul Kaine, president of the Thompson Lake Environmental Association (TLEA), told the Select Board the association has led multi-year efforts to combat invasive aquatic plants and protect water quality. He said TLEA organized hand-pulling, benthic barriers (tarps), suction harvesting and other interventions; those efforts removed roughly 90 percent of the dense milfoil infestation in Pine Point by 2016 and the group reports approximately 600 tons of milfoil removed from the lake since 2008.
Kaine said the association mounted a 2017 capital campaign that raised more than $400,000 to address a roughly 10‑acre infestation at Pine Point and to fund broader lake work. He described an observed regrowth pathway: recent surveys detected substantial regrowth at Greely Brook near the outlet that the association believes is re‑seeding Pine Point; TLEA plans to deploy benthic barriers at Greely Brook in 2026 to interrupt that source.
On funding and programs, Kaine noted a 319 federal-grant award (application accepted in 2024) and said phase one began in 2025; TLEA reported completing three candidate-site projects under the grant (bank and ditch improvements, culvert replacements and erosion-control measures) and running a youth conservation corps that performs erosion-control work for property owners. TLEA also staffs courtesy-boat-inspection posts at the lake’s public launches and runs a Lakes Smart property-inspection program that advises landowners on shoreland practices.
The town’s new code enforcement officer asked whether TLEA coordinates with municipal shoreland ordinances; Kaine said the group relies on technical assistance from the soil and water conservation district and refers legal or permit questions to town code officials. TLEA also emphasized monitoring: the group runs periodic water-quality sampling and contracts with a limnologist for seasonal assessments of dissolved oxygen, phosphorous and algae trends.
Why it matters: Thompson Lake is economically and ecologically central to the area. Officials and the group framed the work as prevention-focused: stopping new invasive species at boat launches and addressing nonpoint-source erosion reduces algal growth and long-term degradation.
Next steps: TLEA will proceed with monitoring and planned barrier work in 2026 and will continue outreach to town code officers and landowners about erosion-control projects.
