Fiske Pond weeds under attack

NATICK — The weeds that choked Fiske Pond last summer should soon be removed by a mechanical harvester.

The pond has been overrun in recent years by water chestnut, a non-native species that has grown in the pond.

"Fiske Pond was a real mess last summer," said Matthew Gardner, chairman of the Conservation Commission. "Some places looked like a meadow. We will see how (the harvester) works. It's a great first step."

Bob Bois, the town's environmental compliance officer, described the harvester as a lawn mower that works underwater.

"It floats on the surfaces and the blade goes into the water," Bois said.

The state and the town have worked on removing the invasive weeds from ponds in town for some time. State Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, said he and other legislators have searched for state dollars on the problem in Fiske and other ponds.

"We set aside funds to deal with invasive species: water chestnuts in Fiske Pond and Eurasian milfoil in Lake Cochituate," Linsky said. "I am very happy with the program in Fiske."

Because Fiske Pond falls under the jurisdiction of the state, the Department of Conservation and Recreation will be the ones to hire the harvester and do the removal, Bois said.

"My understanding is (state officials) are in the process of filing notice of intent with the Natick Conservation Commission for conditions as pertains to the work," Bois said. "The town would set conditions for the work."

State officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Bois said the state's application has not been submitted to the town, and he is not certain if the state officials plan to do anything in addition to using the machine.

"What they propose doing - we know they will use a harvester, but we don't know the other details," Bois said. "The application hasn't come in yet. My understanding is they are in the process of developing a plan."

The harvesters would not work on Lake Cochituate, where milfoil poses the biggest problem. Using a harvester may make the problem worse because the milfoil would likely spread if cut.

A separate plan for Lake Cochituate will be designed by the state in coordination with representatives of Natick, Framingham and Wayland.

The House recently approved a $100,000 budget amendment to deal with the milfoil problem in Lake Cochituate. The budget must first be approved by the Senate and then signed by the governor.