So those of you who live on the pond already know the answer is – YES!

Thinking back to last year many of us were frantically raking and skimming large clumps of weeds from the water, swimming was impossible, boat props were clogging with motors over heating and we were wondering what was going on with our gem of a pond.

Today regarding the Curlyleaf – nothing. Sure there may be some traces popping up and it’s turions/seeds from prior infestations are still in the substrate and the Fanwort still needs to addressed, but clearly we can celebrate this successful first step towards reclaiming our pond.

Many people contributed to make this happen There were the members of the Working Group, various scientists from Ct. State agencies (remember Greg Bugbee from our first community meeting), people from other lakes in our area, and most importantly you in our Great Hill Pond community. Critically you showed patience as we worked through our treatment options and supported, probably with some trepidation, our decision to use an herbicide. Most importantly you showed your trust in us by making donations to our Friends of Great Hill Pond Ct. Inc. non-profit.

The Curlyleaf had, as expected, started to grow and had actually surfaced in a few spots. The current coverage area was consistent with what was found during last summer’s surveys. We don’t yet have the final invoice for the treatment but it should be close to the $10,000 we’ve estimated. Also, it is reasonable to expect the treatment to be highly effective against the Curlyleaf. Because the Curlyleaf is a self seeding annual that grows from its prior season’s turions (seeds) there should be no regrowth this year. The treatment will not affect eel grass, pond lilies, or other pre-emergent plants in the coverage area. Nor will it affect the Fanwort.

Regarding the Fanwort, we learned something new related to the optimum timing of a treatment. Fanwort is a perennial growing each year from tubers/roots in the pond’s substrate. The contact herbicide we will use, kills the current growth but not the tubers/roots. Repeated treatments over a few years will do so. The point being relating to timing is that to get the most post treatment use of the coverage area we should treat in late June or early July soon after it has emerged. This would maximize our use of that part of the pond during the peak summer months. There would likely be some modest regrowth in the fall. The Working group will do some further research to confirm this new information so stay tuned. It also should be noted that the herbicide would be effective against the pond lilies as well.

Regarding fund raising, We’re pleased to report we have exceeded our initial goal which was $15,000. As of April 29 we have raised $16,456. To date our expenses (legal fees to become a registered non profit, herbicide treatment permits, Square, Venmo and bank fees) so far are $1,930.this leaves us with $14,526 in our bank account. The Curlyleaf Pondweed treatment is estimated to cost about $10,000. This means we should have about $4,500 left over to go toward the late summer treatment of the Fanwort. Because that treatment will also cost about $10,000 will need to do additional fund raising. Congratulations to those of you who continued reading up to this point. One somewhat disappointing feature of our funding efforts is that approximately 20 waterfront property owners have not donated.

Regarding our AIS Grant application, unfortunately the news is not as good. Our application was not chosen for funding. There were essentially three reasons:

1) The State had $500 thousand available for the AIS Grant program. They received 41 applications totaling $1.6 million. Thus they had to prioritize. Our application was graded lower than our competitors for the following two reasons.

2) Compared to many other lakes we have very limited public access such as boat launches and beaches, and

3) Apparently some types of weeds, like Hydrilla, score higher then Curlyleaf and Fanwort, because they are considered an emerging expanding threat. Who knew? So we got a lower score here as well.

Despite this setback, We believe it is really important to keep in mind that we have a very workable plan in place to manage the weeds, we have had some good success in raising funds, and we have the legal/administrative structures in place to move forward. Also, we will reapply for next year’s AIS grant. description

Fund Raising: At our November 16th community meeting as well as via our website, an email, and our Facebook page we set an initial goal of $15,000. As of now in mid-January we have collected just under $12,000. We have received donations from about half of the waterfront property owners. We still have a ways to go. So if you can, please donate. Go to our website – GreatHillPond.org to find out how.

Grant writing: The Ct. DEEP published their Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Request For Proposals on December 15, 2023. The deadline for submitting a grant application is January 31, 2024. Our application was submitted on January 25th. The DEEP will use the month of February to evaluate all the submissions. We should hear by early March if ours has been approved. If approved there will be a multi-months long process for a formal contract between us and the DEEP to be executed. That timing puts us beyond the time when our first herbicide treatment would need to be done. So, that cost will be totally ours to cover. Hence the need to continue to fund raise. If approved, the AIS Grant will cover 75% of the summer (2024) Fanwort treatment and the April (2025) treatment of the Curlyleaf Pondweed. We would need to have raised the remaining 25%.

Natural Diversity Data Base review and herbicide treatment permits: This data base contains information on the location of endangered species of all sorts, including aquatic. Before an herbicide treatment permit will be approved, the biologists who maintain the NDDB must provide a determination to the treatment company explaining any precautions they must take to protect any endangered animals That may be in our pond. Our treatment company, Pond and Lake Connection, requested a review in early December. When they get the NDDB determination they will apply for the herbicide treatment permit.

In about 1993 the town of Portland sold the parcel of land that includes the dam to the State of CT. Thus, it owns the dam and correspondingly the pond. Much like any landowner, they can, and do, make the rules for how their property is used and maintained. They govern what may be done on their property by requiring permits to be granted in order for any invasive weed mitigation actions. Depending on what actions we eventuality take, we may need permits from the State DEEP Bureau of Materials Management, the DEEP Fisheries Division, and the DEEP Dam Safety Division.

Regarding paying for any invasive weed mitigation actions, the state has chosen to only do so via grants that must be applied for. The Working Group will be researching the grant application process

Funding – The town’s budget for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024 has been adopted. Unfortunately there are no funds in that budget for Great Hill Pond invasive weed control. However, members of our working group will attend some Board of Selectmen’s meetings to brief them on the problem, our efforts to manage the problem, and lobby for some funding to be included in the next budget cycle.

Water Quality Testing – The town has a Health Department that is primarily administered by the Chatham Health District (CHD ). The town pays an annual fee to CHD its services. Our Selectman will lobby with the director of CHD to have them conduct at least one comprehensive water test in 2024.

The Beavers – The beaver dam that has breached twice is now on the recently purchased property of the Middlesex Land Trust. Portland town officers met with officers of the Trust in order to obtain permission to trap the beavers. The Trust said no. They did say they plan to install trail cameras in order to reduce the possibility of future breaches being caused by reckless persons.

There are two principal invasive weeds in Great Hill Pond - Fanwort and Curly-leaf Pondweed. Fanwort is readily cut, but the fragments are difficult to collect before spreading. Thus DEEP does not recommend harvesting as a control for Fanwort. In a conversation with a person performing the weed harvesting of Moodus Reservoir he confirmed its ineffectiveness for Fanwort.

Regarding the Curly-leaf Pondweed, there are rocks and boulders in the area where the weeds are prevalent. This would prevent mechanical rakes from getting at the roots of the weeds. Thus, the only harvesting technique available would be cutting and collecting the fragments. This approach would be similar to mowing your lawn with a bagger, but much slower and on a far larger scale (approximately 34 acres). The approach would have to be repeated at least annually and uncollected fragments could spread the weeds. Disposal of the collected fragments could also be problematic. One lake in Iowa harvested about 41 acres of Curly-leaf Pondweed over a period of about 3&1/2 weeks with a wet weight of nearly 1 million pounds. For these reasons our working committee will no longer consider harvesting as an option for managing our invasive weed problem.

The option to drawdown the pond’s water level in the winter to expose and freeze the weed’s roots and turions (seeds), possibly killing them, would be the least expensive option and thus, on the surface, is appealing. However, the effectiveness of such a drawdown would be entirely weather dependent. Additionally there several springs, that don’t freeze, where the weeds are.

Given where the Curly-leaf Pondweed is, at least a 6ft drawdown would be required to expose all its roots and turions. Our pond is relatively shallow so this would affect approximately 75% of the surface area. Per state statute, any drawdown of this size would require a permit from the DEEP’s Land and Water Resources Division (LWRD). The application for the permit is very comprehensive and expensive (a fee of up to $4,000). The LWRD estimates processing times of several months.

Serious consideration must be given to our pond’s watershed and inflows, from springs and brooks, to adequately refill the pond in a timely manner. This too is directly weather dependent and incalculable.

Several residents (both year-round and seasonal) get non-potable water and/or have relatively shallow wells. A drawdown of the size necessary to kill the weeds could have serous impacts to residents well fields.

For the following reasons:

-Weather unpredictably and areas of the bottom that don’t freeze due to springs, make the effectiveness impossible to judge;

-Risks to year-round and seasonal residents’ shallow well fields and direct access water supplies;

-Unknown and highly weather dependent refill rates;

-Risks to fisheries and other wildlife habitats;

-High permit application costs, and processing times that make a 2023 drawdown impossible;

The Working Committee will therefore no longer consider a drawdown as an option for managing the invasive weeds.

Though safe and effective, in the short term (4 to 5 years) stocking the pond with sterile grass eating carp is not an option for managing the invasive weeds. Here is why -

Two points first:

1. Per the DEEP Fisheries Division, stocking of the carp would require a containment fence/grate to be installed on or in front of the dam.

2. On September 29, 2020 Great Hill Pond Dam was inspected by the DEEP Dam Safety Group. They do so about every 5 years. Their assessment classified our dam’s hazard potential as “Significant” and its condition as “Poor”.

I contacted the dam’s owner which is the DEEP Dam Safety Group to get fabrication specifications for a containment fence/grate . During that conversation with a director from the DEEP Dam Safety Group he said that they were in the process of preparing a Request For Proposal (RFP) to repair the dam. Given the state of our dam, this is very welcomed news.

The director went on to say that because of the state of the current dam and the planned repair, approval to install a containment fence/grill is unlikely. He also said that a fence/grate could be made part of the repair RFP.

The cost to do the repair requires the state legislator to fund it as part of an approved budget. Going through the process to get approval is likely to take 2+ years. Also, it takes 2 to 3 years for stocked carp to grow big enough to be effective.

Though not a short term option, the working group will stay in touch with the DEEP Dam Safety group to monitor progress of their repair RFP and to ensure a fence/grate is included. We will also lobby with our state legislators to make sure funding to repair our dam is included in the state’s budget.

This method of controlling the weeds has been a significant part of the discussions amongst the members of the working group. While understanding people may have their opinions, the answer to this FAQ focuses on the facts we have learned.

The herbicide that would most likely be used works by inhibiting the weeds ability to use sunlight to create food (photosynthesis). It is applied directly to the targeted weed (topically). As strictly a topical photosynthesis inhibitor (TPI) it has been deemed safe for wild life (people, fish, amphibians etc). The Federal EPA lists its risks to drinking water, food, and swimmers as “not of concern”.

There are two invasive weeds in our pond. For the curly-leaf pondweed it is best applied in April, before the weed develops turions/seeds. It dissipates in 3 days, well before we would actively be using the pond. Until we have the 8/21 survey results our approach for the Fanwort is to be determined.

Many lakes and ponds throughout CT. are using this method to successfully control their invasive weed problem. Conversations with representatives of associations from Rogers Lake, Lake Williams, and Crystal Lake in Middletown all endorse this method of controlling the weeds.

The state DEEP requires a permit for controlling the weeds in this manner and that the treatments be performed by a state licensed professional. The DEEP’s Bureau of Materials Management each year begins accepting permit applications on January 1st. To best ensure a permit is granted in time to do a treatment in April we would need to apply then. In all likelihood we would use a company familiar with the process to help us file the application.

Because treating the curly-leaf pondweed with a TPI type herbicide:

1) Is deemed safe (“not of concern”) by the EPA for swimming, drinking water, and food;

2) Has proven effective in many local, and state-wide ponds and lakes;

3) Assuming the DEEP approves our application in time, it could be done in April, thus avoiding a repeat of this year’s infestation,

4) Having eliminated harvesting, drawdown and carp as options, an herbicide treatment is now our only short term option.

The working group will now pursue it in order to control this invasive weed in our pond next year.

The short answer is – establishing all the legal filings, banking, accounting, and branding for our new non profit. Essentially we now have a fully authorized, registered nonprofit whose name officially is Friends of Great Hill Pond CT Inc., (FoGHP).

FoGHP has been registered with the IRS, and the CT Secretary of State as a nonprofit. We have our own EIN (similar to a Social Security Number).

Also, FoGHP now has:

· its own bank account at Liberty Bank,

· a new Facebook page name,

· a new email address,

· an internet domain,

· a website and

· several ways to collect donations (cash, check, credit card and Venmo).

Other activities include a meeting with Norm Needleman, our state Senator, to brief him on our issues – the weeds and the dam. Then on October 16th we gave a briefing to the Portland Board of Selectmen. Below is a YouTube link to the meeting if you’re interested. You can fast forward at any time to the citizen’s comments section by using the slide bar.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ownzMqFcx6k?si=KpnBk55h09aj4Xwh

Looking ahead we’ll be getting formal proposals from herbicide treatment companies in order to decide which one to use. We will prepare the STAMP act application for the available state grant money. Importantly, with the framework now in place, we can actively begin fund raising.

Please come to the Great Hill Pond Community meeting on Thursday November 16th in the library at 6:15 to learn more about these topics.

Stressing that these are our best ESTIMATES of the costs, here is what they may be over the next 12 months or so.

· $725 one-time for nonprofit startup. This included:

o $400 for the Certificate of Incorporation and to get the EIN

o $275 to register as a nonprofit with the IRS

o $50 to register with the CT Secretary of State

· $350 for credit/debit card processing fees

· $1,000 to pay for the three year upfront costs of state permits and for the NDDB search/review

· $13,000 to do the Curlyleaf Pondweed treatment in April.

· $10,000 to do the Fanwort treatment in the late summer of 2024. This too is an ESTIMATE. We will have a better number when we receive the results of the survey of the weeds done in August.

That’s the bad news. We need to start fund raising now to cover the startup, bank fees, permits and Curlyleaf treatment costs($15,075).

The potential good news is that IF our application for the AIS STAMP ACT grant is approved in time, the state will reimburse up to 75% ($9,750) of our Curlyleaf Pondweed treatment payments.

It must be stressed that these costs are still estimates. Regardless, we need to start raising funds now.

Any person who registers a boat or renews a boat registration is required to pay an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) fee of five dollars. All the money collected is deposited in the Connecticut Lakes, Rivers and Ponds Preservation account of the state’s general fund. This account then is made available to the DEEP to use “for projects involving the restoration and rehabilitation of lakes, ponds, and rivers to control aquatic invasive species.” The DEEP requires towns and groups like ours to apply for grants to fund their projects.

The application for this grant requires a lot of details. These include:

· an “ Executive Summary” of the problem and plans to remediate,

· an endorsement of the plan by a biologist/limnologist,

· a map depicting the problem,

· a budget, including the amount (75% of our costs) we are requesting, supported by treatment vendor proposals,

· an NDDB map and review. The NDDB is a data base of protected endangered species.

· a description of public access,

· an assessor’s map and a few other things.

The application is submitted to and graded by the DEEP.

IF approved we would get a contract from the state to reimburse us for money we initially paid to any consultants and treatment vendors. The tricky thing is they only reimburse us for approved costs we will have paid after the date of their contract. Costs we incurred before the contract date will not be reimbursed. Thus the time it takes for the DEEP to decide is critical.

If untreated the weeds will grow and increase in size before dying off during mid summer as part of their natural life cycle. Early spring treatment reduces the overall size and mass of the weeds and reduces the overall amount of biomass that accumulates on the bottom of the pond. This reduction in dead plant matter reduces the likelihood of a negative impact to the pond.