This season a total of $51,531.89 is estimated (final invoices pending) to have been spent on EWM mitigation efforts which included:

• Three DASH (Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting) treatments

• Removal of Benthic blankets

• Hand Harvesting

• Herbicide treatment

Costs were primarily covered by grants through the Lake Champlain Basin Program/New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Committee. $750 (Treatment permit costs) was paid for through town appropriations as costs were incurred outside of grant contract periods.  

 

The herbicide treatment appears to have been successful in the 3 targeted areas (NW cove, town beach area, NE cove).  We are awaiting our post treatment survey report.  Next season’s pretreatment survey will give us the best idea of how successful it was.  Unfortunately, the SW end of the lake now has 2 “hotspots” that were addressed by 3 DASH treatments and multiple hand harvest team efforts this year but continues to rapidly expand.  Our plan is to treat these 2 areas with herbicide in 2026.   DASH and Hand Harvesting efforts will continue in other areas of the lake as needed.