By Charlie Breitrose/Daily News staff
MetroWest Daily News
Posted Jun 15, 2010 @ 12:23AM
NO DATA —A special harvesting boat is making progress clearing an aggressive weed from Lake Cochituate, a town official said yesterday.
The diver-assisted suction harvester, or DASH, boat is targeting milfoil in five acres of the Middle Pond of Lake Cochituate, just off Rte. 30.
Natick Conservation Agent Bob Bois said areas where the boat has harvested look much better than other sections.
“This time of year, you can see the areas where it has not been treated” Bois said. “The plants themselves ride on the surface, and you dont see them in the areas which have been cleaned.”
Work began in late May when the DASH boat, run by AB Aquatics, started removing milfoil from the areas near the state beach, public boat ramp, and kayak and canoe rental area. Bois estimated that 80 percent of those areas have been cleared of weeds.
Officials chose the boat as an alternative to other removal options, including herbicides.
The cost will be covered by a matching grant, with $25,000 coming from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and $12,500 from the Natick Conservation Commission.
The state will use the results to see how well the boat removes the weeds.
“The DCR is going to do the follow-up study,” Bois said.
In a separate but related project, another DASH boat company is clearing a channel for boats in the waterway that connects North Pond with Middle Pond.
“When all thats done, hopefully it will stop boats traveling between ponds from creating fragments of milfoil,” Bois said.
The weed spreads when pieces float and take root in other areas.
Charlie Breitrose can be reached at 508-626-3964 or cbreitro@cnc.com.
via DASH boat making progress removing weeds – Framingham, MA – The MetroWest Daily News.
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