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Commission allows temporary water-level raise at Greeno Pond so volunteers can reach invasive water-chestnut
Summary
The commission authorized a temporary, monitored installation of boards at the Greeno Pond dam to raise water for a volunteer water-chestnut removal, conditioned on confirming it will not interfere with a pending hydrology study and on returning to existing conditions afterward.
The Carlisle Conservation Commission voted to allow land stewards to temporarily raise the water level at Greeno Pond by installing boards at the dam so volunteers can canoe to infestations of water chestnut and remove the invasive plants.
Jonathan told the commission the pond has fallen about 18 inches below historic levels, the dam boards leak and volunteers cannot reach chestnut beds from canoes. "I'd like to be able to raise the water level so that we can canoe around in there and get the water chestnut out," he said. Commissioners discussed monitoring and the pending hydrology/hydraulics (H&H) study; staff asked that any board installation be coordinated so it does not invalidate H&H data or impede the study.
The motion authorized a short-term installation of boards (an increase of roughly a foot, to be monitored) specifically to enable July–August volunteer pulls, with a requirement that staff confirm the H&H work would not be disrupted and that volunteers report dates and water-level readings. The commission specified that the installation be temporary and that boards be removed or left to existing conditions after the pull season unless the commission directs otherwise.
Why it matters: volunteers are trying to arrest exponential spread of water chestnut, an aquatic invasive that can greatly expand if not removed; raising the water temporarily will allow nonchemical manual removal that volunteers prefer.
What’s next: Jonathan and stewards may place boards once Megan confirms no interference with the H&H study; stewards will monitor water level and staff will be notified of installation and removal dates.
