HBPA
2004 Harvesting Report
|
|||||||||||||||||||
2004 HARVESTING REPORT
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
An aquatic weed harvesting project coordinated by the Hop Brook Protection Association (hereinafter referred to as “HBPA”) was conducted on Carding Mill Pond during July through September of 2004. The primary purpose of the project was to remove the water chestnut plants (and also the elodea canadensis and hydrodictyon) which have invaded and taken over Carding Mill Pond. Prior to the harvesting, the surface of the pond was covered in water chestnut plants and there were very few areas of visible water in the pond. Furthermore, there were very few birds and waterfowl on the pond because it was impassable. The harvesting dramatically improved the condition of the pond with approximately 95% of the water chestnut plants on the surface of the pond having been removed. The bird and waterfowl are once again returning to the pond.
Before harvesting could begin, HBPA was required to obtain permission from the Sudbury Conservation Commission (hereinafter referred to as the “SCC”) to conduct the harvesting project. A Notice of Intent was filed with the SCC and notice was sent by certified mail to all abutters within 100 feet of the property line pursuant to M.G.L. Ch. 131 §40. A public hearing was conducted by the SCC on June 7, 2004, at which time the SCC voted to approve the harvesting project subject to certain conditions contained in the Order of Conditions (which was subsequently issued by the SCC).
Prior to harvesting, arrangements also needed to be made for the disposal of the harvested materials. The Wayside Inn agreed to allow the materials to be deposited on one of their fields. In addition, Bill Fairbank of Fairbank's Farm indicated that he would be interested in obtaining the harvested material as mulch for his organic farm. All of the harvested product was brought to Fairbank's Farm and Bill Fairbank assisted in removing the product from the harvester and conveyor belt and trucking it to his farm. The Sudbury DPW also provided a truck and driver for purposes of removing and disposing of the harvested materials.
After the SCC approved the harvesting project, HBPA organized a “rock hunting” expedition on the pond in order to mark the submerged rocks. It is necessary to mark the rocks because they can cause considerable damage to the harvester when hit by the cutting blades. Marker buoys (soda bottles tied to bricks) were placed on the submerged rocks and the location of each rock was recorded with GPS equipment. In addition, the level of the water in the Pond was raised by inserting flashboards at the dam. Because the rocks were marked and the water level of the pond was raised before harvesting, the harvester only hit one rock during the project and the damage was minimal.
The aquatic plant harvester and conveyor were loaned to HBPA by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (GMNWR) for a fee of $25.00. The harvester for this project was an Erectoweld Aquamarine model H7-400. It is hauled over the road on a dedicated trailer. The harvester is supplemented by a shore conveyor for transfer of the harvested product from the harvester to a truck. Transfer of the harvester (which weighs over 5 tons) to and from the pond requires the services of a lifting crane. Each transfer requires approximately 2 hours including installation and removal of the side paddle wheels used for propulsion.
Refuge staff delivered and set up the harvester and shore conveyor (with the assistance of the Town of Sudbury Dept. of Public Works) on July 27, 2004. Chris Wilson (who had previously been trained to operate the harvester) was hired to operate the harvester and was compensated by HBPA at the rate of $25.00 per hour. Harvesting commenced on July 27th but was very slow because the harvester and conveyor were in disrepair when delivered to Carding Mill Pond. Harvesting was temporarily suspended on or about August 3rd due to the mechanical problems with the harvester and shore conveyor. Subsequently, GMNWR retrieved the harvester and conveyor and brought them to their facilities for repair of the hydraulic systems. The harvester and conveyor were returned to Carding Mill Pond on or about August 19th at which time the harvesting resumed. Harvesting was terminated on September 3rd (due to the fact that it was so late in the season) at which time approximately 95% of the pond had been harvested.
Harvesting was conducted on the pond for 3 ½ weeks (154 man hours). The harvesting took approximately 4 times longer than it did in the Summer of 2000. The schedule and the number of loads varied each day depending on the weather and availability of trucks. The harvested product consisted primarily of water chestnut along with elodea canadensis and hydrodictyon. Approximately 200 harvester loads of
vegetation were removed from the pond (as compared to only 48 loads in the Summer of 2000). Clearly, the state of Carding Mill Pond had significantly declined in the last 4 years due to the massive invasion of pond weeds.
HBPA sent samples of the elodea canadensis, water chestnut, duck weed and hydrodictyon to Alpha Analytical Labs for testing to determine the presence, if any, of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead or mercury. In addition, Dr. James Hauri, an Environmental Chemistry Professor at Assumption College, has agreed to have his students analyze the harvested material to determine its value as fertilizer (at no cost to HBPA). Specifically, the students are testing for nitrogen, phosphorous and potash content in the vegetation. The results of the tests had not yet been received at the time this report was written.
The total cost of the harvesting project was $7284.21. The following is a breakdown of the expenses associated with the harvesting project:
The Town of Sudbury agreed to contribute $2000.00 toward the cost of the project, in addition to providing labor and equipment, as previously mentioned.
The harvesting project was successful in temporarily improving the condition of Carding Mill Pond. However, because the harvester does not remove the roots of the acquatic weeds, it is will be necessary to harvest every year in order to control the vegetation in the Pond. It is clear that a more permanent solution is necessary at Carding Mill Pond or we will eventually lose the pond and its surrounding ecosystem.
  Carding Mill Pond before harvesting
 Carding Mill Pond after harvesting
|
|||||||||||||||||||
For more information on harvesting contact Sue Collins, Harvesting Coordinator
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||