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Lake Massapoag advisory committee seeks staff capacity and grants to tackle E. coli, invasive weeds and phosphorus
Summary
Laura Russell of the Lake Management Advisory Committee presented a Draft Watershed-Based Plan (2026–2050), urged institutional staff support and recommended pursuing MVP and CPC funding to implement shoreline and stormwater projects.
Laura Russell, chair of the Lake Management Advisory Committee (LMAC), presented the Draft Watershed-Based Plan for Lake Massapoag 2026–2050 at the Planning Board meeting on Feb. 26, outlining projects to address E. coli contamination, invasive aquatic plants and excess phosphorus.
Russell described priority projects including Veterans Memorial Beach stormwater and shoreline improvements and other stormwater projects on Lake Ave, Capen Hill Road and Massapoag Ave. She provided the board with an executive summary and appendices that list near-term projects and a draft master budget sheet. Russell said a draft plan was submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection on Feb. 20 and that filing the plan will open opportunities to apply for implementation grants.
"Active management of the lake is needed. It cannot continue to run by a volunteer committee," Russell told the board, urging that the town build staff capacity for project management, grant writing and reporting. The LMAC requested conceptual approval to pursue a two-year MVP grant for FY27–28 for Veterans Memorial Beach projects, and proposed launching CPC FY27 consideration for initial implementation funding.
Chair Rob Maidman asked Russell to extract specific recommendations and circulate them to the board for further review. Board members discussed potential regulatory changes and ways the Planning Board could support lake-protective measures, such as discouraging roof runoff into the lake and promoting rain gardens, but no formal vote was recorded on policy changes.
Russell emphasized that new state funding opportunities may be available; she referenced a recently announced $3.1 billion bond for environment-related projects and urged the board to build capacity to pursue such grants.
