The Parks and Recreation Commission has approved $45,000 to clear weeds at Bare Hill Pond’s swimming and boat mooring areas, with the work tentatively scheduled for the first two weeks in June. The weed removal will be paid for this year with money from a revolving fund used for beach expenses, which is controlled by Parks and Rec. The commission voted unanimously last week—with one member absent—to pay for the work.
The weeds will be eliminated by the DASH method, or diver-assisted suction harvesting. Two scuba divers will remove the weeds with a suctioning device, and the weeds will be deposited in a dumpster on the beach. The boats that had previously been part of the plan, as discussed at a January Parks and Rec meeting, will not be used after all.
The source of funding for weed control after the summer of 2024 has not yet been determined. However, at a Feb. 28 Parks and Rec meeting, the town’s harbormaster, Bob O’Shea, declared he would not open the beach in any year for boating and swimming lessons unless the swimming area were kept clear of weeds. The 2025 weeding could be paid for, in part, with a grant that Bare Hill Pond Watershed Management Committee Chair Bruce Leicher said his committee intends to apply for. But Leicher said resuming pond drawdowns could lessen the cost. Data showed, he said, that “after successful pumping and freezing, the need to perform [suction harvesting] could be significantly reduced.” The pumping equipment malfunctioned in 2022 and failed in 2023, preventing proper drawdowns; repairs are expected to begin next month.
The diver-assisted harvesting requires permission from the Conservation Commission and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection; the pond committee will apply for the permit. The committee plans to make a notice of intent template available for homeowners on the shore so they can more easily apply for permission to engage the divers, but at their own cost.
Final arrangements are underway with Pristine Waters, one of two lake management firms that responded to the request for proposals issued by the town in January.
