Volunteers Needed! Lake Mansfield Water Chestnut Control Team

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Volunteers needed to control and eliminate water chestnut at Lake Mansfield! Join Dale Abrams to help with the hand pulling of this invasive aquatic weed. 

Recently, lake paddlers noticed a small patch of European Water Chestnut on the northwest end of the lake. The innocuous looking invasive forms dense floating mats on the lake’s surface that can easily displace native species and interfere with recreational activities. Originally from Eurasia, the Water Chestnut was introduced in 1897 to aquatic gardens in Cambridge, MA, and by the turn of the century had already begun spreading throughout lakes and rivers in the northeast United States. One acre of Water Chestnut can produce enough seeds in a single season to cover 100 acres the following year, and the spiky nut-like seeds can remain viable for up to seven years, so ongoing monitoring and control effort is vital. Lake Mansfield volunteers submitted documentation to our local conservation commission this past summer and received a green light to move forward in controlling this plant through hand pulling beginning as soon as they emerge in spring.

JOIN THE WATER CHESTNUT CONTROL TEAM - Please let us know if you’d like to bring a boat and lend a hand with stewardship efforts this year and beyond. 

Please complete the intake form HERE.

More questions? Email us at Info@GBLand.org  

Volunteers needed to control and eliminate water chestnut at Lake Mansfeild