Macrophyte Cutting and Removal
July 2024
Tons of Plants Cleared from Lake Elizabeth
and Red Lily Pond
Twenty volunteers and one hired hand cut and removed an estimated 15 tons (more than 30,000 pounds) of vegetation (macrophytes), roots and muck from Lake Elizabeth and Red Lily Pond over four days in July 2024. The removal was performed under an Order of Conditions issued by the Barnstable Conservation Commission in areas cleared with the Conservation Commission Administrator and the Herring Warden in advance. Cutters, loaders, transporters, and loaders working in the ponds and on the shore performed about 300 hours of labor.
This is the third annual campaign under the three-year Order of Conditions. Although areas cleared of dense vegetation generally revegetate in the following growing season, the growth is much less dense the following year, and, where a benthic barrier has been installed, the lake surface has remained clear, obviating the need to cut and clear vegetation in the same area. The Red Lily Pond Project will be installing more benthic barriers this fall over some of the areas where macrophytes were removed, and is investigating equipment (called a Water Bug) that would mechanize the cutting and gathering of the macrophytes next year.
Photo on left is montage of June 2024 drone photos; on right is of photos taken on 7/18/24. Colored circles surround areas where macrophyte cutting and removal was performed, with colors in photo on left matching areas in photo on right.
July 2023
You have likely noticed that Lake Elizabeth and Red Lily Pond have less plant growth on their surfaces this year. This is a direct result of the macrophytes harvesting done in the ponds in the fall of 2022. Although done late in the season for maximum impact, it’s heartening to see the result.
The macrophytes harvesting was completed from July 5 - 7.
Under the direction of Doug Farquhar, volunteers cut macrophytes from the ponds and moved them to shore where they will be allowed to dry for a few days and then taken to the Town of Barnstable Transfer Station for disposal. Cutting tools, kayaks, and a flat-bottom boar are used in the cutting (provided by RLPPA). Some cutting in Lake Elizabeth will be done in the pond with volunteers wearing waders. Cutting in Red Lily Pond will be done via the boat or kayak as the muck is deep there.
This project is one of several undertaken by the Red Lily Pond Project Association to improve and enhance the health and beauty of our ponds.
Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers!
Cuttings from the macrophyte harvesting on all five tarpaulins. They totaled almost an estimated 3,000 pounds!
October 2022
Pursuant to an Under Amended Order of Conditions SE3-5862 (issued October 12, 2022), eleven volunteers manually cut and removed an estimated total of nearly 3,000 pounds of macrophytes from pre-designated portions of Lake Elizabeth and Red Lily Pond on October 15-17, 2022. The campaign was extremely successful in clearing substantial surface areas of the two ponds, removing vegetation that impeded recreational paddling activities, that was detrimental to fish and bird habitat, and that, absent removal, would have decayed and added to the significant deleterious muck that has gathered at the bottom of both ponds.
