SENATOR NEEDLEMAN WELCOMES GRANTS FOR EAST HADDAM, PORTLAND AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES CLEANUP, OUTREACH

Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) welcomed a $30,880 grant awarded to the Bashan Lake Association, Inc. in East Haddam with the intent of improving regional education on preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Additionally, the Jonah Center in Middletown received a $75,000 grant to remove invasive water chestnuts from bodies of water in the region, including Pecausett Pond in Portland.

“Aquatic invasive species pose a continued threat to our lakes, rivers and ponds, and I’m grateful to know our local communities will be better supported by these grant through new cleanup opportunities and increased education and public outreach,” said Sen. Needleman. “I’m grateful to the state for its continued investment in our region.”

The Bashan Lake Association will receive this grant with the purpose of improving outreach and education in the area, which includes monitoring boat launches and teaching the public how to prevent aquatic invasive species’ spread. The plants can quickly reproduce and spread and are often carried from body of water to body of water on boat hulls, reinforcing the need for education.

The Jonah Center will remove water chestnuts from the Pecausett Pond as well as the Mattabessett River and Connecticut River, with focus on Cromwell and Middletown.

The grant comes from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Aquatic Invasive Species Grant Program, which each year invests funds into projects focused on reducing the impacts of aquatic invasive species in Connecticut waters.

These species, like hydrilla and zebra mussels, can cause severe damage to water ecosystems. They can harm and kill native plants and animals and can make boating, fishing and swimming difficult or impossible, interfering with businesses and recreation alike.

The AIS program was established in 2019 through the state legislature to better protect state waters.