Save Rocky Pond! Combat Invasive Aquatic Weeds

Rocky Pond, a historic 70-acre Great Pond located in Boylston, Massachusetts is facing an urgent threat. Aggressive aquatic invasive weeds, fanwort and variable milfoil, are spreading rapidly, harming fish and altering the ecology of the Pond.

Documented as early as 1677, Rocky Pond is filled with enormous glacial boulders and features a unique floating island that the locals call "the Quag". Rocky Pond is home to a variety of fish, beavers, otters, swans, geese, ducks, herons and many other diverse wildlife species.

In the Summer of 2024, fanwort entered the pond, most likely as a hitchhiker from a boat. It spread like-well-weeds.

A group of concerned citizens contacted the DCR Lakes and Ponds Program for guidance. The Rocky Pond Association was formed, and, following the DCR Rapid Response plan, we hired a scientist to complete an official survey of Rocky Pond. The results were stunning.

We quickly learned that tackling a project like this truly takes a village! With guidance from professionals, lake associations, municipal, state, and federal representatives we were able to successfully file an NOI (Notice of Intent) with the Department of Environmental Protection. We are now working with the Boylston Conservation Commission to obtain a permit to remediate the invasive weeds in Rocky Pond.

As one professional noted, this is no small undertaking- and certainly not for the faint of heart. Working to save Rocky Pond has required countless hours of hard work and dedication from volunteers, and we still aren't there yet.

We need your help! Please consider donating today to combat the aquatic weeds and preserve a healthy ecosystem for the fish, birds, otters, and beavers.

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