Milfoil Followup

Below is the report on the work done last week by our EWM (Eurasian water milfoil) combat team headed by Barry Cahoon.

 

Joe’s Pond Eurasian Watermilfoil Update 06/15/25

This past week 06/09/25-06/13/25, VTHozerz, a Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) management contractor conducted an intensive 5-day hand pulling and suction harvesting operation and placed approximately 1400 square feet of benthic barrier (fabric anchored to the lake bed to prevent resprouting of EWM).  Despite frequently challenging weather conditions including wind, rain, and clouds, the JPA considers the project a success due primarily to the professional, dedicated and tireless efforts of the contractor’s personnel.

 

 

The VTHozerz EWM Harvesting Crew from left: Nick Knapp, Aiden Sharp, & Ryan Surrell

Not pictured: Keith Knapp

            All of the EWM management work was conducted in the areas of greatest EWM concentration previously identified by the Arrowwood Environmental (AE) survey performed 05/26/25-05/28/25.  These areas are located along the Sandy Beach shoreline and between the Channel Drive shoreline and the Islands and generally conform to the location of the clusters of red dots on the AE map below. 

 

 

VTHozerz also conducted extensive underwater surveying of the Joe’s Pond littoral zone (shallow water areas where EWM grows and shown in light blue on the above map) throughout the First, Second and Third ponds.  No additional EWM was found outside the Sandy Beach and Channel Drive/Islands areas.  The EWM previously observed during the AE survey near the VT DF&W boat access, the Second Pond just off US 2, and near the end of Island Drive were previously harvested either by AE or JPA.

An estimated 134 gallons (dry volume) of EWM was harvested by VTHozerz.  A portion of one day’s harvest is shown below.  Most concerning was that even after making 40+ passes with the harvesting boat along the Sandy Beach area, more EWM continued to be found right up until and through the final pass on the last day of operation.  In other words, we have not found and removed all the EWM.  It is still here in the lake, growing and potentially spreading.

JPA volunteer and indefatigable SCUBA diver Jim Bernotas and a partial barrel of EWM

            On another cautionary and observational note, on Friday 06/13, Lakeshore Section C Coordinators Sue and Mike Yesalonia noticed and collected several strands of EWM washed up on the shoreline along the US 2 side of the Second Pond just below the upper narrows.  Sue and Mike then notified both JPA and the property owners along that section via email of their discovery and urged each owner to inspect their shoreline and then proceeded to inspect the shorelines where they knew the owners were not available to survey their sections.  This is exactly the kind of activism that we hope to see from all the LSCs.  Thank you Sue and Mike.

 

 

The VTHozerz combination SNUBA (Surface Nexus Underwater Breathing Apparatus) and DASH (Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting) boat and JPA EWM Fragment Patrol Kayakers

 

This discovery occurred one day after the most challenging day for the JPA EWM fragment patrol kayakers.  The wind was so strong and gusty that our volunteers had a hard enough time just to avoid swamping and to maintain their positions downwind of the harvesting boat thereby inhibiting fully effective drifting fragment recovery.  The surf also made it very difficult to even see EWM fragments drifting by.  The lesson we learned from this is that, in the future, we must devote greater resources to support and accomplish containment of fragments unavoidably generated by the harvesting operations.  If we make mistakes and don’t learn from them, we’ll continue to make mistakes.  But if we don’t make mistakes due to a lack of initiative or courage, we won’t learn much of anything.

A total of approximately 1400 square feet of benthic barrier was placed and anchored on the lake bed at 3 locations where the densest concentrations of EWM were found off the Sandy Beach shoreline.  The purpose of the mats is to prevent resprouting of EWM wherever the divers were unable to retrieve the entire root mass of any of the hundreds of individual plants harvested.  The corners of these installations are marked with buoys.

 

 

Measuring and cutting the benthic mats

 

Recognition of JPA Volunteers

This report would be remiss and incomplete without recognizing the tremendous level of support provided by JPA members to assist in accomplishing a successful harvesting operation.  Apologies to anyone who has been missed in this accounting:

 

·         Jim Bernotas; It would be difficult to make a case that any JPA volunteer worked harder than Jim.  He was in the water in SCUBA gear an estimated 6 hours a day on average providing an invaluable level of support to the VTHozerz crew.

·         Jamie Stewart; Jamie provided and piloted his pontoon boat full time performing myriad support functions for all aspects of the harvesting operation.

·         Sue Bouchard; Sue coordinated 3 meals a day for the VTHozerz crew for the entire week.  This was a big job and accomplished impeccably.  The crew was well fed and happy.  Sue also provided lunches for the JPA volunteers at noontime each day.

·         Joanne Stewart; Joanne organized and coordinated the EWM fragment patrol kayaking flotilla.  Not an easy job due to the weather conditions and the fluid nature of the operation.

·         Chris Hebert; Chris donated his camp on Clubhouse Circle as lodging for the VT Hozerz crew.  They spent a very comfortable week.

·         Jack Lague; Jack provided access to the lake, a staging area, mooring, and rest rooms at his family property on Sandy Beach.  This was a very important contribution.

·         Butch Bouchard; In addition to providing fragment patrol support, it seems that Butch was constantly engaged in some action that facilitated operations.

·         Larry Rossi; Larry obtained, transported, cut, and coated the cut ends of the approximately 100 pieces of ¾” diameter poly-coated reinforcing rod that was used as bottom barrier anchors.

·         Louis & Amber Monaghan; The Monaghans made a very generous donation of Red Barn Brewing gift cards to the VTHozerz harvesting crew.  A very relaxing, fun and convivial evening at Red Barn on open mike night was enjoyed by both the VTHozerz crew and several of the JPA volunteers.

·         Joe Hebert; It seems impossible to conceive of all the work Joe accomplishes for the JPA behind the scenes or under the radar; and the same applies to all he contributed to make the EWM harvesting project happen.

·         The Fragment Patrol Kayaking volunteers; Not an easy job in challenging weather conditions and especially if you keep at it for 8 hours.  This crew included:

§  Jim & Gretchen Farnsworth

§  Butch Bouchard

§  Pam & Joe Hebert

§  Sue & Mike Yesalonia

§  Sally Woodhouse

§  Ann Dingman

§  Diane Sherwood

§  Cary Friberg

§  Ann Powers

·         The Meal Providers; Absolutely no complaints were heard (nor should there have been) about the excellent food and meal preparation provided to the VTHozerz crew, nor the volume of it.

§  Michelle Parker

§  Pam Hebert

§  Jeremy Grenier

§  Diane Sherwood

§  Gretchen Farnsworth

§  Norma Segale

§  Cyndy Rouleau

§  Sue Yesalonia

§  Joanne Stewart

§  Diane Rossi

§  Sherry LaPrade

§  Kate Chatot

§  Chris Burns

§  Linda Livendale

§  Nancy Buttura

§  Andrea McLeod

§  Alicia Hingston

§  Nancy Temple

§  Carmen Gagne

§  Sue Lague

§  Mary Ann Cassani

§  Pam Collins

§  Dottie Noyes

 

JPA searched long and hard through the winter for a reputable EWM harvesting contractor.  It took a few conversations with Keith Knapp, owner of VTHozerz, before he agreed to move all his equipment and crew from Sudbury, VT (near Rutland) up here to the Northeast Kingdom and Joe’s Pond.  The JPA, therefore, wanted to provide all the support we possibly could to make this a good and enjoyable project for VTHozerz.  Based on the feedback JPA has received from Keith and his crew, I believe we were successful in this regard.

 

The Path Forward

It is tempting to conclude that the outcome of the harvesting operation has given JPA some breathing room or that we’ve forced the EWM into retreat, but honestly, the best that can be said is that the harvesting operation has given us a fighting chance.  All we’ve done is win a skirmish.  The war is raging on.  EWM possesses an intense physical imperative to grow and flourish and you can bet the farm it is doing just that as you read this.

            No JPA member should conclude from this report that we can afford to relax our vigilance.  EWM is insidiously stealthy, aggressive and persistent.  It is a formidable opponent.  It’s record in VT so far is 105 wins, 1 single loss.  In fact, this is the time when we must redouble our efforts and commitment to prevail in this battle and accept the reality that this struggle to save Joe’s Pond will not likely be won this year or next year or the year after that.

            The only way we can maintain the advantage is to detect and eliminate every new outbreak as soon as it occurs.  This means the absolute highest priority right now is to regularly and frequently survey the entire Joe’s Pond littoral zone to search for, detect and mark every single EWM plant that becomes established; and then to mobilize our available resources to remove the plant(s).  EVERY JOE’S POND ASSOCIATION MEMBER MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY HERE!

            Just because no EWM has yet been discovered in several of the lakeshore sections does not mean that it’s not there.  There can be small, young plants just a few inches tall sprouting from seed, or from fragments released last season, that can be very difficult to see right now.  But they will grow fast and if not visible now, may very well be detectable a week from now.

            An additional important consideration is that there have been several outlier outbreaks already found during the AE survey in May, or more recently by JPA surveyors, in Lakeshore Sections C, E, K, & J (see map above).  Any reduction in our vigilance and EWM will quickly exploit that opening, pounce, and regain the upper hand; a position from which, tragically, we might never recover.

            The JPA is relying heavily upon the system of Lakeshore Section Coordinators to lead this vital effort and the commitment of volunteer surveyors.  If the LSC has not reached out to you to coordinate EWM survey activities in your section, please contact them directly and tell them which part of the littoral zone you are committing to monitor.

            Many LSCs still have not picked up a supply of JPA marker buoys.  The system will break down if buoys are not available to mark the location of EWM found so that they can be geolocated and harvested.  The available buoys are presently stored (securely) in Joe & Pam Hebert’s garage on Old Homestead Road.  Any LSC without buoys, should contact Barry Cahoon to arrange a time for pick up.  bear817@hotmail.com or 802-535-0049.

           

            Equal attention must also be given to avoidance of watercraft-induced fragmentation resulting in additional EWM proliferation.  JPA has recently placed several warning signs on floats along the Sandy Beach and Channel Drive/Islands infestation areas directing boaters to stay out of these areas due to the presence of EWM.  Property owners bordering these lake areas have been notified by email about the placement of these signs and explaining that this action is not intended to prevent access to or egress from their moorings and to establish guidelines for their boating practices and EWM identification capabilities to help minimize fragmentation.

 

 

Jamie Stewart, Butch Bouchard & Barry Cahoon setting out EWM alert signs

In addition, all boaters absolutely must minimize travel through the littoral areas of Joe’s Pond where EWM may be growing.  We have to voluntarily restrict our tubing, skiing, and cruising to the deeper areas of the lake.  Become familiar with the location of these shallow water areas as shown on the map above and develop the habit of staying out of them except for passing in and out from your docks. 

Many boaters travel to Joe’s Pond from away and thus may not be aware of the dangerous situation we are combatting.  Please do not hesitate to inform these folks at any opportunity of their responsibilities to protect the lake.  Joe’s Pond members who rent out their camps must alert and urge their renters to be equally responsible.

 

 

The JPA EWM Management Committee and the Board of Directors will soon be actively moving ahead to acquire and develop SNUBA (Surface Nexus Underwater Breathing Apparatus) capability.  After observation, evaluation and discussion of such technology as utilized by VTHozerz, it appears that such infrastructure may help alleviate the bottleneck JPA is now experiencing due to a limited number of SCUBA divers available to mobilize in response to discovery of new EWM outbreaks.  SNUBA can be much more efficiently deployed and be usable by a wider range of JPA members.  As this initiative moves ahead the JPA membership will receive updates and solicitations for anyone willing to get involved and to build a more robust in-house harvesting capacity.  

 

Thanks again to all who contributed their time and resources in support of the EWM harvesting operation last week.  And thanks in advance to any and all additional JPA members who will commit to actively assisting in the containment and possible eradication of EWM from Joe’s Pond.

 

For an EWM-free Joe’s Pond

Barry Cahoon, Joe’s Pond Association

Water Quality Director

Eurasian Watermilfoil Response Coordinator

 

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 You will find more information on EWM on our website, www.joespondvermont.com - click on "Milfoil" page 

This work is just the beginning. Controlling the spread of this invasive plant will be on-going and expensive. We are very appreciative that  action was taken swiftly with expert assistance, and the hope is that the spread of the infestation can at least be controlled, if not eradicated. Any assistance you can give will be appreciated. If you are at the pond, remind boaters to stay away from areas with signs marking milfoil beds. Any movement from boats, swimmers, paddles, etc. can dislodge bits of the plant allowing it to spread, so please keep away from it. Go to the JPA website and learn to recognize EWM. Then be on the lookout at your own waterfront or other areas on the pond you may visit. Report any suspicious plants to Barry Cahoon (802-535-0049) immediately. 

If you are not at Joe's Pond but have connections and want to help, monetary contributions will be appreciated. We don't want to see our beautiful lake clogged with this troublesome plant and it will take the effort of every property owner and anyone else using or appreciating our lake to handle this situation long term.