Lake Maspenock Spring 2025 Weed Survey

Our new Certified Lake Managers, Ken and Wendy Gendron, are a husband-and-wife team from Aquatic Restoration Consulting in Ashburnham, MA.

Ken and Wendy Gendron, Joe Baldiga, Chair of the Citizens Input Group (CIG), Sabine St. Pierre, President, LMPA, Chris Baldiga, Nicole Bratsos, Construction Manager for Hopkinton’s Department of Public Works, and Max, the DPW intern, all set out on Friday morning for the Spring 2025 Lake Maspenock weed survey.

In addition to the tools used in the past, the Gendrons brought underwater cameras to help identify the weeds. They observed sparse vegetation, some freshwater mussels, and lots of fish. The freshwater mussels are a positive sign, contributing to water clarity and overall pond health. They are filter-feeders that help remove debris and algae and provide habitat for other aquatic life.

The observations revealed a noticeable difference from the Spring 2024 survey, which showed large amounts of the various weeds. In June 2024, the weeds were treated with herbicide. The 2024 treatment was carefully planned with extensive public outreach and post-treatment monitoring, and was deemed successful in significantly reducing invasive weeds while preserving native plant life.

Weed surveys at Lake Maspenock have been conducted for several decades, with formal, systematic surveys beginning around 2015. In May 2015, the Hopkinton Select Board created the Lake Maspenock Weed Advisory Group, also known as the CIG, to address growing concerns about aquatic weeds and to develop a long-term management plan. This group began meeting regularly in October 2015 and initiated structured, ongoing vegetation surveys (spring and fall).

A formal report will be posted on the LMPA website after the fall survey.