the grant is in…wish us all luck!

Dear Friends of Lake Attitash
 
Woohoo! The Massachusetts Dept of Environmental Protection 319 grant that we have worked to hard for has been completed and was sent in to the MADEP yesterday! We are asking for $360,000.
 
The LAA and over 100 donors managed to raise $50,000! We also obtained commitments from Amesbury and Merrimac for the remaining funds needed to meet the required 40% match.  It has been a long and very challenging effort but along the way we have convinced the leadership of both communitites and the voters of Merrimac of the necessity of tackling cyanobacteria blooms in Lake Attitash from a public health perspective. This is a major victory that will benefit the lake even if we are not awarded the grant.
 
LAA obtained the lake management expertize for the science content of the grant and Rob Desmarais, DPW Director for the City of Amesbury, completed the grant with input from LAA. He is very knowledgeable and well qualified to complete the grant and has done a superb job. If you are in contact with him, please thank him. 
 
When will we know?
October 2017
 
If awarded, when will the lake be treated?
Earliest date would be the Spring 2018, depending on how the money is released. Latest date would be the Fall of 2019. The optimum time for the alum treatment is Spring time before the plants come up. Local permitting can also be time consuming.
 
What is the downside?
More weeds! Weeds need light and the clear water will produce more weed growth. Weeds are a nuisance but not a health hazard. We will be continuing our invasive weed management efforts.
 
PS: Talking about weeds…..our Spring weed treatment had to be postponed because of the high water level. Amesbury likes to board up the dam to prevent outflow during the treatment. With recent rains they were concerned about the high water level and are waiting for that to level off before putting boards in the dam to stop outflow for a few days.
 
Summer seems to have arrived…. see you on the lake.

LAA