Category: Water Chestnuts
Volunteers organized by the Mystic River Watershed Association and a harvesting machine hired by the Town of Arlington have been making good progress in removing the Water Chestnut plants from the Reservoir. Every plant that we remove this summer will mean fewer seeds (and plants) next year. Water chestnuts if left unchecked can totally cover the water surface dramatically affecting aquatic and bird habitat. More information about the Town's efforts can be found at: https://www.arlingtonma.gov/town-governance/boards-and-committees/conservation-commission/projects [caption id="attachment_2140" align="alignnone" width="640"] Harvesting machine at work (8/12/26 photo by S. Mattingly)[/caption] The harvesting machine has already been at work the past week and is scheduled to continue for another week. The haul has been taken to the emergency spillway for later removal by DPW. [caption id="attachment_2142" align="alignnone" width="640"] Harvested Water Chestnut Plants on…
Water Chestnut Harvesting at the Res This Summer Volunteers on July 17 Our collective efforts have led to a huge success in water chestnut harvesting, thanks to volunteer events and mechanical harvesting. Power of Volunteer Events The Mystic River Watershed Association organized volunteers for our initiative. Here are the impressive outcomes: Events: 13 Volunteers: 282 dedicated individuals Baskets Filled: 1,820 Total Weight: 38,220 lbs (21 lbs per basket) These numbers highlight our volunteers' dedication. Each event strengthened community bonds and worked towards a sustainable future. Impact of Mechanical Harvesting Mechanical harvesting, supported by the Town’s Water Bodies Fund, also played a crucial role. Dates: June 17 – June 28 Harvester Loads: 145 Volume: 36,250 cubic feet Total Weight: 271,875 lbs The harvester allowed us to efficiently collect a significant volume of water chestnuts. Combined Effort Together, volunteer…
Had a great turnout for the water chestnut hand harvesting event on July 11. Over 40 volunteers showed up and set a new record. The grand total was 270 baskets — a record for the Arlington Reservoir ! And a special thanks to the Biodiversity Builders team that also stayed to work on the Habitat Garden.
Beginning on June 17th and ending on June 28 New England Aquatic Services LLC performed 70 hours of mechanical harvesting to remove Water Chestnut from the Arlington Reservoir. During that period a total of 145 harvester loads of material were extracted from the lake. This is the equivalent of approximately 36,250 cubic feet of material weighing approximately 271,875 pounds (136 tons). This is the second year that this company has performed the service. The efforts were focused on the northern section of the reservoir. In total 5.75 acres of area were harvested. The southern portion of the reservoir was not addressed this year but was the main focus during the 2023 effort. This area appears to be much less dense following the first project, and so the priority was placed…