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The Hydrilla Menace: Twin Lakes group buoyed by DEEP’s assault on invasive hydrilla in 2025
A detail of a whorl of hydrilla pulled from the shallow waters at O’Hara’s Landing Marina in fall of 2024.
SALISBURY — The Twin Lakes Association is taking an earlier and more aggressive approach to fighting the spread of invasive hydrilla in East Twin Lake by dosing the whole northeast bay, from May through October, with low-level herbicide treatments instead of spot treatments.
The goal, said Russ Conklin, the TLA’s vice president of lake management, is to sustain herbicide concentration over the 2025 growing season.
That plan of attack will continue over a period of 60 to 90 days beginning May 21, Conklin explained during the association’s April 30 membership meeting via Zoom which drew 60 attendees.
TLA officials were encouraged by the chance to stop the spread and hopefully destroy the thick mats of the unyielding invasive plant hydrilla verticillata, referred to as the Connecticut River variant, after two years of chasing new growth around the lake’s north bay.
Dense patches were first discovered in the summer of 2023 in shallow waters around O’Hara’s Landing Marina and the nearby state boat launch and the plant has since migrated further into East Twin, following a pattern of boat traffic.
Past treatment efforts were hampered by delayed permits from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to treat the hydrilla with herbicides in an area where a rare plant had been identified.
This year, the TLA was granted an exception by DEEP, said Conklin, as any protected plant species in the path of hydrilla would likely not survive anyway.
“It is not dead now, but it is going to be if we don’t do something about the hydrilla.”
“This is a big year for us,” Conklin said. “Hydrilla is a real threat to the lake, and we did treat it this past year, but the permits only applied to the plant, so we spot treated it … and were always chasing it.”
The course of action this year, he said, is to treat the entire northeast bay with the herbicide Sonar in both liquid and crystal form at a very low levels so that the herbicide’s contact time with hydrilla will be extended for a longer period over 60 to 90 days.
“We know from past experience that it is much easier to kill the plant when it’s small,” Conklin explained. The goal, he said, is to attack the stringy, green weed before August when it crowns and splits into numerous growing points that are capable of growing at the rate of an inch a day.
During the hour-long meeting, discussion also focused on a pilot program for enhanced cyanobacteria monitoring at Twin Lakes to be headed by TLA director Jessica Swartz, a resident of West Twin Lake and biotech executive with Pfizer.
“It’s very visibly challenging to identify cyanobacteria blooms,” Swartz explained, as it can easily be confused with pollen on the surface of the water, dead vegetation or different types of algae.
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are natural, important phytoplankton in lake ecosystems. Dense blooms, which release toxins, occur when there is an abundance of sunlight, elevated phosphorus levels and warm temperatures.
Given the current escalation in overly-nutrient rich waterbodies and rising temperatures due to global climate change, the frequency of cyanobacteria blooms is increasing, said Swartz, and Twin Lakes has occasionally experienced localized blooms.
As a result, the association will be implementing a pilot testing program with greater frequency and at more locations than currently conducted by the TLA’s limnologist, George Knoecklein. The goal of the pilot program is to work out the process of collecting reliable data over time that helps inform whether cyanobacteria blooms are occurring, where they are most frequently found, and assess the level of risk.
Sample test kits have been ordered for five or six testing sites across East and West Twin, including at the private Salisbury School.
TLA president Gant Bogle invited Swartz to give an update at the association’s upcoming June 14 membership meeting at Camp Isola Bella.
Despite rising lake management costs projected at $500,000 this year, Bogle reported that the TLA is in strong shape financially heading into the 2025 season, as it received another $75,000 grant from DEEP and $25,000 from the Bates Foundation to support the Watershed Study.
Also, the town of Salisbury has earmarked $75,000 for Twin Lakes this season, said Bogle, and the TLA membership has “responded generously” contributing more than $300,000 since August 2024 when the group started its 2025 fundraising campaign.
Bogle also encouraged members to attend the May 12 public meeting of the Salisbury Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission, which is expected to address proposed changes to the Upland Review Area encompassing the town’s lakes.
Frederick Wright Hosterman
KENT — Frederick Wright Hosterman passed away peacefully in his home in Kent on April 16, 2025. Born in 1929 in Auburn, Nebraska, he was the son of farmers. He attended a one-room schoolhouse just outside of Brownville, Nebraska, adjacent to his family’s farm. The little brick schoolhouse is still standing! After graduating from high school, Fred attended the University of Nebraska (Lincoln), eventually earning a master’s degree in agronomy. He took a job with Monsanto in Buffalo, New York, where the company was a pioneer in applying biotechnology to agricultural sciences. In Buffalo, Fred met his future wife, Dorothy. Fred and Dorothy moved to New York City for several years in the early 1960s, before settling down in Norwalk. In Norwalk, Fred and Dorothy had three children. The family later moved to Kent. In 1980, Fred and Dorothy divorced, and Fred bought a large tract of land on Carter Road in Kent. He built a house there, largely by himself, which he maintained until his death at age 95. After taking early retirement, he spent the following decades working on his property, adding various buildings, woodcrafting, landscaping, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Fred had a jovial and close relationship with many of his neighbors, who he saw daily, all willing to share a cup of coffee or receive various bits of wisdom from Fred on any number of projects.
Fred was predeceased by his parents; Helen and Arch Hosterman, step-mother Cassie Hosterman, sisters Ruth and Esther Marie, brother Richard, and former wife Dorothy. He is survived by his three children and their spouses; John and his husband Eric of Northfield, Minnesota, Tracy and her partner, Sam, of Amenia, New York, and Catherine and her husband, Josh, of Cornwall. He is also survived by his five grandchildren; Nicky, Dan, Ian, Zachary, and Eliza, and several nieces and nephews.
Fred loved to flirt with the ladies, even in his 90s, doing a little “dance” for almost anyone he met. Another of Fred’s favorite hobbies was chopping down trees on his land. Initially, this started out as a necessity for fueling his wood stoves. Later, tree-clearing projects were aimed at enhancing the magnificent view from his house high atop Carter Road. Even at age 95, Fred was frequently on his excavator moving boulders or building a retaining wall, as he was strong, healthy and witty until his final weeks.
Nancy (Case) Brenner
CANAAN — Nancy (Case) Brenner, 81, of Canaan, passed away peacefully in her sleep at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, following a long illness on Good Friday, April 18, 2025.
Nancy was born on April 10, 1944, to the late Ray Sargeant Case Sr. and Beatrice Southey Case. She was the second youngest of five children, predeceased by her three brothers, Ray S. Case Jr., David E. Case and Douglas C. Case, and her sister Linda (Case) Olson. She grew up in New Hartford and Winsted, where she graduated from Northwestern Regional 7 High School.
Nancy is predeceased by her husband and the love of her life, Thomas E. Brenner. Often nicknamed “the love birds,” they were true soulmates and shared many wonderful years together filled with love, laughter, travel and family. Nancy is also survived by 11 nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly — Lori, Richard, Kathleen, Kevin, Debbie, Karen, Carrie, Jennifer, Tom, Scott and Kimberlee. She was a special aunt leaving behind so many happy and joyful memories. She never missed attending her nieces’ and nephews’ special events.
Nancy worked for over 20 years at Raynard and Pierce in Canaan. There she made many friendships and brightened the day of everyone who went through the door greeted by her smile and jovial spirit. Nancy was a loving wife, daughter, aunt and friend and will be missed by all who’s lives she touched.
A graveside service will be held at Collinsville Cemetery on Huckleberry Hill Road in Canton on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 11 a.m. followed by a reception at 5 Cherry Brook Road, Canton. Memorial donations may be made in Nancy’s name to the Berkshire Humane Society, 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield, MA 012011, where Nancy adopted her loving cat and faithful companion, Dusty.
