Cochituate State Park closed for two days as DCR tackles invasive plants

Abby Patkin, MetroWest Daily News
·2 min read

NATICK — Cochituate State Park was closed to the public Tuesday and Wednesday as the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation sought to tame invasive species in Lake Cochituate.

The work, which was contracted out to a state-licensed vendor, includes surveying and mapping invasive aquatic plants, hand-pulling and/or mechanically removing floating-leaf plants, and applying state- and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved herbicides to control submersed species, according to DCR.

SOLitude Lake Management, which is based in Shrewsbury, was seen applying herbicide on Lake Cochituate on Tuesday.

Solitude Lake Management applies herbicide to Lake Cochituate to kill off invasive species such as Eurasian water milfoil, June 28, 2022. Cochituate State Park was closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and was to reopen at 8 a.m. Thursday. The park is operated by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Solitude Lake Management applies herbicide to Lake Cochituate to kill off invasive species such as Eurasian water milfoil, June 28, 2022. Cochituate State Park was closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and was to reopen at 8 a.m. Thursday. The park is operated by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

DCR has been applying those herbicides since 2009, and with increases in effectiveness, treatments are needed less frequently and may potentially occur multiple years apart, a DCR spokesperson told the Daily News.

Lake Cochituate has struggled with invasive weeds for years; at one point, it was infested with more than 150 acres of dense milfoil growth, according to DCR. The department’s treatment program has reduced the growth to a point where treatment is needed only occasionally, the spokesperson said.

From 2009: Milfoil problem dominates Lake Cochituate discussion

The work this season is targeting approximately 20 acres of growth, they said.

Do invasive plants pose any risk to swimmers and boaters?

One type of milfoil, Eurasian watermilfoil, is believed to have been introduced to the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1880s and has been found in nearly all Massachusetts drainage basins, according to a response plan included on DCR’s website. Plant fragments are easily transported to new bodies of water via boats, trailers, fishing gear, wind, animals and currents, according to the report.

Left unchecked, the plants can form dense mats on the surface of the water, making it impossible to swim, fish or boat, according to DCR. The plants can also act as nutrient pumps, potentially triggering cyanobacteria algae blooms, which can be toxic to humans and animals.

DCR referred outdoor recreation seekers to nearby Callahan State Park in Framingham and Ashland State Park in Ashland during the two-day closure.

Abby Patkin is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. Follow Abby on Twitter @AMPatkin. She can be reached at apatkin@wickedlocal.com.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Lake Cochituate closed briefly in Natick for invasive plant removal