Lake Symposium 2023
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Management Issues of Connecticut Lakes
A Fall Science at Night seminar series for the public, students and scientists interested in local lake conservation and management.
Based on the conversation started in 2019 -21, stakeholders this year will discuss Lake Management topics that impact our regional lakes.
The event is virtual and free but registration is required:
Co-sponsored by Connecticut Federation of Lakes
"The Status of Aquatic Plants in Lakes with Sterile Grass Carp"
7:00 p.m. – Larry Marsicano, Brawley Consulting Group LLC., WCSU Limnology Instructor, Welcome address and speaker introduction.
7:05 p.m. – Joe Cassone, Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP, “Connecticut DEEP Update on Candlewood Lake Grass Carp and Aquatic Vegetation Management Efforts”
7:45 p.m. – Neil Stalter, Director of Ecology, Candlewood Lake Authority, “The Ecology Behind Candlewood Lake’s Rapid Plant Loss.”
8:25 p.m. – Theodora Pinou, Professor of Biology, “Insights into Sterile Grass Carp behavior.”
8:45 p.m. - Questions to speakers from Audience and discussion
“Managing Water Quality in Lakes”
7 p.m. – Larry Marsicano, Aquatic Ecosystem Research LLC., WCSU Limnology Instructor, will introduce the topic and speaker.
7:10 p.m. – William Henley, Sr. Aquatic Resource Scientist, South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, “Remote Turbidity Monitoring & Selective Diversion for Improvement of a Drinking Water Lake.”
8:00 p.m. – Questions from Audience
8:15 p.m. – Connie Trolle, President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association, and Peter Francis, Boating Division Director, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Connecticut DEEP, “A conversation about Wakeboards and Shoreline Management.”
8:30 p.m. – Questions from Audience
8:45 p.m. – Symposium Summary and Where do we go from here?
Representative Experts and Speakers
Theodora Pinou, Western Connecticut State University, Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences, MS in Integrative Biological Diversity Program Director and Coordinator.
Pinou is Department Chair and Professor of Biology Sciences at WCSU. She is also a Curatorial Affiliate in Vertebrate Zoology at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. She received her BA, MA, and Ph.D at New York University in Biology, with a focus in vertebrate evolution and ecology.
Laurence Marsicano, Lake Communities Symposium Co-organizer, Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Limnologist & WCSU Biology Instructor. lmarsicano@aerlimnology.com
Larry obtained his B.A. from Western Connecticut State University in 1988 and his M.A. from Connecticut College in 1993. He managed the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory at Connecticut College for Dr. Peter Siver from 1990 to 1997 which specialized in paleolimnology and regional lake water quality studies. His publications can be viewed at the Silica Secchi Disk website. In 1998 he was hired by the Candlewood Lake Authority and in 2003 became the Executive Director of that public lake management agency, the largest lake in Connecticut. He held that position until 2017 when he became a Principal Partner at Aquatic Ecosystem Research, LLC. He is now the Senior Limnologist for Brawley Consulting Group LLC, and teaches limnology to graduate students in the WCSU MS in Integrative Biological Diversity Program.
Joe Cassone, Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP
TITLE: CT DEEP Update on Candlewood Lake Grass Carp and Aquatic Vegetation Management Efforts
ABSTRACT: Following the drastic decline in aquatic vegetation coverage at Candlewood Lake in 2022, CT DEEP investigated the potential causes of the decline and courses of action to restore a balanced vegetation community. Excess grazing pressure by grass carp was identified as the primary cause; in response a grass carp population reduction effort was initiated in May 2023. From May-September 2023 CT DEEP removed 219 grass carp from Candlewood Lake. The goal of the removals is to allow for a partial recovery of vegetation without a return to nuisance levels. Future efforts will consist of continued removals, vegetation monitoring, and working with partners to develop a more robust network of vegetation exclosure areas, and informed lake management objectives.
Neil Stalter, Candlewood Lake Authority, Director of Ecology and Environmental Education.
TITLE: The Ecology Behind Candlewood Lake's Rapid Plant Loss
ABSTRACT: Candlewood Lake Authority Director of Ecology Neil Stalter will go into the ecological phenomena that can explain how multiple factors, including the sterile grass carp, drawdown, and others contributed to the dramatic change in Candlewood's Plant Community. Learn how the ecological theory of Alternative Stable States can shed light on how Candlewood's ecosystem changed so quickly, and how it can inform management to help return the ecosystem to a healthy plant balance in the future.
William Henley, Sr. Aquatic Resource Scientist, South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority.
TITLE: Remote Turbidity Monitoring & Selective Diversion for Improvement of a Drinking Water Lake
ABSTRACT: The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA) is a public drinking water supplier with ten active reservoirs. Its Lake Saltonstall system consists of two waterbodies; Furnace Pond (30 acres) & Lake Saltonstall (430 acres), which are hydrologically connected, and a diversion impoundment located on Farm River. Due to the small watershed to lake ratio of Lake Saltonstall and the desire to avoid excessive drawdown of this natural waterbody, supplemental diversion is required from the Farm River to maintain the lake’s water level. As the Farm River watershed contains a substantial proportion of agricultural and urban land uses, the RWA has implemented a remote turbidity monitoring station to guide water diversion operations. This remote monitoring program has allowed for improved operation of the Farm River diversion, reducing nutrient influxes, avoiding first flush precipitation events. The data collected from this initiative has also lead to increased understanding of the dynamic Farm River watershed.
Connie Trolle, President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association.
TITLE: A Conversation About Wakeboards and Shoreline Management
Connie Trolle is the President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association and the first woman to hold this position since the founding in 1925. In this role, she created a coalition fund to manage invasive weeds and storm water issues at Bantam Lake. She is also the Past-President of the Connecticut Federation of Lakes and instrumental in pushing forward the legislation that created legislation that will create a grant program for aquatic invasive species and cyanobacteria related projects. She is also served as a Commissioner of the Inland Wetland, Town of Morris; Chairman of the Board of Finance for the Town of Morris, and President of the Bantam Lake Task Force. Connie has lived on Bantam Lake as a summer resident all her life. She lives on the lake full time and is very active in the community.
Peter Francis, Boating Division Director, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Connecticut DEEP
TITLE: A Conversation About Wakeboards and Shoreline Management
Peter Francis is the Connecticut State Boating Law Administrator and the Boating Division Director at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). In this role, he is responsible for regulatory programs; boating safety outreach and education; federal grants; and navigation safety and boating infrastructure including the operations and maintenance at 117 state boat launch facilities. He also represents Connecticut at the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and is a 2019 graduate of the NASBLA Leadership Academy. Prior to joining the Boating Division in 2019, Peter worked in a variety of roles in DEEP’s coastal zone management program. These roles included supervising the coastal permitting and enforcement section where he was involved in boating access construction projects, dredging and navigation improvements, and transportation and utility infrastructure projects. Peter also supervised the Technical Services and Coastal Resources sections where he managed DEEP’s coastal programs including GIS, dredging, wetland restoration, and coastal resilience initiatives as well as the Clean Vessel Act and Clean Marina Programs. He has served on the Long Island Sound Study Management Committee and the CT SeaGrant Senior Advisory Board and has represented the agency through liaison work with the New England Regional Dredge Team, the Northeast Region Ocean Council and the Coastal States Organization. He holds a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from Connecticut College with additional fisheries training at the University of Alaska – Anchorage and executive management coursework at the University of Connecticut.
Management Issues of Connecticut Lakes
A Fall Science at Night seminar series for the public, students and scientists interested in local lake conservation and management.
Based on the conversation started in 2019 -21, stakeholders this year will discuss Lake Management topics that impact our regional lakes.
The event is virtual and free but registration is required: https://westconn.tfaforms.net/217
Co-sponsored by Connecticut Federation of Lakes
"The Status of Aquatic Plants in Lakes with Sterile Grass Carp"
7:00 pm – Larry Marsicano, Brawley Consulting Group LLC., WCSU Limnology Instructor, Welcome address and speaker introduction.
7:05 pm – Joe Cassone, Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP, “Connecticut DEEP Update on Candlewood Lake Grass Carp and Aquatic Vegetation Management Efforts”
7:45 pm – Neil Stalter, Director of Ecology, Candlewood Lake Authority, “The Ecology Behind Candlewood Lake’s Rapid Plant Loss.”
8:25 pm – Theodora Pinou, Professor of Biology, “Insights into Sterile Grass Carp behavior.”
8:45 pm - Questions to speakers from Audience and discussion
“Managing Water Quality in Lakes”
7pm – Larry Marsicano, Aquatic Ecosystem Research LLC., WCSU Limnology Instructor, will introduce the topic and speaker.
7:10 pm – William Henley, Sr. Aquatic Resource Scientist, South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, “Remote Turbidity Monitoring & Selective Diversion for Improvement of a Drinking Water Lake.”
8:00 pm - Questions from Audience
8:15 pm – Connie Trolle, President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association, “ A conversation about Wakeboards and Shoreline Management.”
8:30pm – Questions from Audience
8:45pm – Symposium Summary and Where do we go from here?
Theodora Pinou, Western Connecticut State University, Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences, MS in Integrative Biological Diversity Program Director and Coordinator.
Pinou is Department Chair and Professor of Biology Sciences at WCSU. She is also a Curatorial Affiliate in Vertebrate Zoology at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. She received her BA, MA, and Ph.D at New York University in Biology, with a focus in vertebrate evolution and ecology.
Laurence Marsicano, Lake Communities Symposium Co-organizer, Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Limnologist & WCSU Biology Instructor. lmarsicano@aerlimnology.com
Larry obtained his B.A. from Western Connecticut State University in 1988 and his M.A. from Connecticut College in 1993. He managed the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory at Connecticut College for Dr. Peter Siver from 1990 to 1997 which specialized in paleolimnology and regional lake water quality studies. His publications can be viewed at the Silica Secchi Disk website. In 1998 he was hired by the Candlewood Lake Authority and in 2003 became the Executive Director of that public lake management agency, the largest lake in Connecticut. He held that position until 2017 when he became a Principal Partner at Aquatic Ecosystem Research, LLC. He also teaches limnology to graduate students in the WCSU MS in Integrative Biological Diversity Program.
Joe Cassone, Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP
TITLE: CT DEEP Update on Candlewood Lake Grass Carp and Aquatic Vegetation Management Efforts
ABSTRACT: Following the drastic decline in aquatic vegetation coverage at Candlewood Lake in 2022, CT DEEP investigated the potential causes of the decline and courses of action to restore a balanced vegetation community. Excess grazing pressure by grass carp was identified as the primary cause; in response a grass carp population reduction effort was initiated in May 2023. From May-September 2023 CT DEEP removed 219 grass carp from Candlewood Lake. The goal of the removals is to allow for a partial recovery of vegetation without a return to nuisance levels. Future efforts will consist of continued removals, vegetation monitoring, and working with partners to develop a more robust network of vegetation exclosure areas, and informed lake management objectives.
Neil Stalter, Candlewood Lake Authority, Director of Ecology and Environmental Education.
TITLE: The Ecology Behind Candlewood Lake's Rapid Plant Loss
ABSTRACT: Candlewood Lake Authority Director of Ecology Neil Stalter will go into the ecological phenomena that can explain how multiple factors, including the sterile grass carp, drawdown, and others contributed to the dramatic change in Candlewood's Plant Community. Learn how the ecological theory of Alternative Stable States can shed light on how Candlewood's ecosystem changed so quickly, and how it can inform management to help return the ecosystem to a healthy plant balance in the future.
William Henley, Sr. Aquatic Resource Scientist, South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority.
TITLE: Remote Turbidity Monitoring & Selective Diversion for Improvement of a Drinking Water Lake
ABSTRACT: The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA) is a public drinking water supplier with ten active reservoirs. Its Lake Saltonstall system consists of two waterbodies; Furnace Pond (30 acres) & Lake Saltonstall (430 acres), which are hydrologically connected, and a diversion impoundment located on Farm River. Due to the small watershed to lake ratio of Lake Saltonstall and the desire to avoid excessive drawdown of this natural waterbody, supplemental diversion is required from the Farm River to maintain the lake’s water level. As the Farm River watershed contains a substantial proportion of agricultural and urban land uses, the RWA has implemented a remote turbidity monitoring station to guide water diversion operations. This remote monitoring program has allowed for improved operation of the Farm River diversion, reducing nutrient influxes, avoiding first flush precipitation events. The data collected from this initiative has also lead to increased understanding of the dynamic Farm River watershed.
Connie Trolle, President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association.
TITLE: A Conversation About Wakeboards and Shoreline Management
Connie Trolle is the President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association and the first woman to hold this position since the founding in 1925. In this role, she created a coalition fund to manage invasive weeds and storm water issues at Bantam Lake. She is also the Past-President of the Connecticut Federation of Lakes and instrumental in pushing forward the legislation that created legislation that will create a grant program for aquatic invasive species and cyanobacteria related projects. She is also served as a Commissioner of the Inland Wetland, Town of Morris; Chairman of the Board of Finance for the Town of Morris, and President of the Bantam Lake Task Force. Connie has lived on Bantam Lake as a summer resident all her life. She lives on the lake full time and is very active in the community.
For more information, please contact Dr. Theodora Pinou, professor of Biology, at Pinout@wcsu.edu.