“We are in the middle of a fight right now with hydrilla, and each punch definitely hurts a little more.” Jeremiah Foley, Assistant Scientist and Biological Control Specialist, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station/Office of Aquatic Invasive Species
Map showing hydrilla survey sites at state boat launches.
SALISBURY — Last summer, East Twin became the first lake in the state to discover the presence of a genetically distinct strain of invasive hydrilla, a robust aquatic plant which, if left unchecked, can out-compete native plants and devastate local ecosystems.
Until it found its way into East Twin, most likely by hitchhiking a ride on a boat or boat trailer, the novel variant had only been identified in the Connecticut River, where it has wreaked havoc since 2016, and continues to do so today, as scientists and environmentalists work furiously to find a way to manage and eradicate the aggressive weed from the state’s waterways.
In response to the growing threat, the state environmentalists plan to spend the next several months, the peak hydrilla growth period, surveying 94 state-owned boat launches throughout Connecticut in search of hydrilla, according to Jeremiah Foley, assistant scientist and biological control specialist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station/Office of Aquatic Invasive Species (CAES/OAIS).
Foley, who has paid numerous visits to East Twin, was the guest lecturer at the Aug. 3 annual meeting of the Twin Lakes Association (TLA) at Camp Isola Bella. His presentation focused on the status of hydrilla in Connecticut and specifically on Twin Lakes.
He noted that a novel strain of hydrilla, first found in 2016, infests the Connecticut River from Agawam, Mass., to near Long Island Sound.
“In 2023, molecular identification confirmed the plant was also in six Connecticut lakes and ponds, and in four of the lakes, the hydrilla was found in close proximity to public boat launches. This suggests the plant may be introduced by launch activities particularly by boats entering the lakes that had previously been in the Connecticut River,” Foley explained.
The state scientist said early detection and rapid response protocols would be enhanced if hydrilla surveys of areas near boat ramps were performed to quantify how common the Connecticut River variant of hydrilla is found near boat launches, and if so, “provide guidance to help boaters prevent introduction, and prioritize management decisions.”
The boat launch survey project, he said, will include all 94 state-owned boat launches, including launches located at lakes and ponds. Seventy-five of the sites accommodate trailers and 20 are only for car top/carry in, he explained.
“We have now found the Connecticut River hydrilla in several locations,” explained Foley, who, before joining the OAIS, worked on invasive species control and eradication, including hydrilla, in Florida, where his bread and butter, he said, was biological control.
“You guys were the first to get it, or the first to find it. This year alone, we found it at four more sites. I can’t even keep my data updated fast enough. We are in the middle of a fight right now with hydrilla, and each punch definitely hurts a little more.”
During the nearly two-hour meeting, Foley, TLA officials and Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand fielded concerns and questions from those in attendance, many of whom live or own property on the Twin Lakes. They discussed the importance of halting the spread and eventually eradicating hydrilla through aggressive monitoring and lake management.
TLA president Grant Bogle opened the meeting by noting that it was no surprise that the 2024 survey revealed hydrilla has spread at East Twin. “We should be expecting this for a few years until we get control of the situation,” he noted.
Hydrilla, which is among the most aggressive invasive aquatic species, able to grow in water up to 30 feet deep and double in biomass every two weeks, has taken root in three new locations along East Twin’s eastern shore, at the north bed and has formed deep mats around the boat launch.
“If you go down to the marina, look to the right and look to the left, it’s hydrilla. It’s everywhere down there. That’s ground zero,” said Bogle.
On a positive note, the TLA president explained that the state is allowing the expanded use of the herbicide Sonar, widely regarded as one of the most effective treatments, around O’Hara’s Landing Marina and further into the north cove, where the plant is rapidly growing.
The treatment area around the marina will expand to include 17 acres, according to Russ Conklin, vice president of lake management for the TLA. Treatments were expected to start Aug. 7.
Looking ahead to next year, TLA officials said they plan to start Sonar treatment earlier in the season and for the entire growing period, and treatment will cover the entire littoral zone of East Twin, rather than spot-treatment, a strategy that was met with success at Coventry Lake, in Tolland County, where hydrilla was discovered in 2015.
East Twin officials are looking to Coventry Lake’s success in eradicating hydrilla after a seven-year effort as a case study for East Twin, even though that lake’s strain of hydrilla is slightly different than the Connecticut River variant.
Coventry initially spot treated with an herbicide Aquathol and applied a subsequent five-year treatment of Sonar to its entire littoral zone. By the end of 2022, there was no evidence of hydrilla in the lake. No herbicide treatment was applied in the 2023 season, and after three hydrilla beds cropped up in August, their lake consultant, Northeast Aquatic Research (NEAR), recommended a return to Sonar treatments of the entire littoral zone for a minimum of three years.
“There is a lot of ignorance surrounding the use of herbicides…that you can put the product in the water and see it go downstream. That’s not the case. You can be selective,” Foley explained.
He noted that there are a dozen products highly regulated by the EPA, and that herbicides are just one tool within the tool belt of dealing with invasive plants.
“If you don’t do anything, that’s also a threat to that biodiversity,” said Foley.
As hydrilla grows, lake management costs soar, too.
Bogle said the TLA expects to spend $300,000 battling hydrilla this year, and $350,000 in 2025.
“Maintaining Twin Lakes for future generations,” he said, “requires us to commit to sustained investments of upwards of $350,000 per year.” For the 2025 season, Bogle said the TLA needs to raise upwards of $225,000 per year.
The bulk of responsibility for funding lake management will fall to the TLA membership, he noted, as annual membership dues account for less than 10 percent of the budget.
“Everyone is scared to death about these expenses. And here is the unfortunate news,” said Bogle. “It doesn’t go down next year or the year after that.”
The town of Salisbury is poised to contribute $100,000 for lake management in 2025 which includes the cost of launch monitors at the marina, he said, and the TLA will continue to explore other funding sources, including grants through DEEP.
Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.
I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.
We make a left on Salmon Kill Road and begin the most beautiful five-mile section of the route through rolling hills and beautiful farm country spread out over the length of the scenic valley. Fortunately, the Salmon Kill Bridge has been reopened after a two-year reconstruction — its lengthy closure was a real bummer.
After a short climb and descent, Salmon Kill terminates at Lime Rock Road.
This is the busiest and least enjoyable section of the ride, but lasts only about a mile when we turn left at the Trinity Lime Rock Episcopal Church and follow Dugway Road, with its rolling hills along the south side of the Housatonic River.
We usually stop on the Falls River Bridge to check out the volume of water flowing over the Great Falls. We make a right off the bridge on to Water Street, pass the power plant and Appalachian Trail parking lot, and go under the railroad bridge with a sharp left up a steep but short hill north on Route 126 (Point of Rocks Road.)
Now we’re on a long, flat run that includes a slight right on Sand Road, which we follow all the way to Route 7 at the Canaan Country Club. A left here leaves you on a very busy state highway less than a mile before turning right onto Lower Road — be careful — but there’s plenty of shoulder.
Lower Road runs parallel to the Blackberry River and passes both modern and historic local industry: the impressive lime rock quarry operated by Specialty Minerals Inc., followed by the Beckley Iron Furnace State Park.
Next, we make a left on the appropriately named Furnace Road, across Route 44 — careful again — and face a steep but short climb up Allyndale Rd. Following it to the left begins a long stretch of beautiful farms and distant views of the Southfield and New Marlborough hills. We pick up a lot of speed downhill, zip past Sodom Road, and then a flat stretch to Clayton Road and into Massachusetts.
Continue straight (north) on Polikoff Road, then make a left onto Hewins Road if you want to keep the ride short. Alternatively, you could turn right on Hewins Road and follow it to Maple and into Sheffield to add another 5 to 10 miles.
But, if you’re sticking with the 32-mile ride, turn left on Hewins and take it across Route 7, followed by a left on Main Street and into Ashley Falls’ bucolic town center.
The right turn on Rannapo Road takes us along and across the winding Housatonic River ,where we watch the corn grow from seedlings to more than six feet by late summer.
Next is a left on to the daunting Cooper Hill Road — the steepest and only tough climb of the route. The effort is rewarded by spectacular 360-degree views, including the mountains of the Taconic Ridge and Appalachian Trail to the west.
A left onto Silver Road leads to the payoff: two steep descents, a view of the Twin Lakes on the left, and arrival at stately Taconic Road, home to some of Salisbury’s grandest old estates. A left on Taconic Road offers more rolling farm hills and beautiful views of the Taconic Ridge.
It terminates at Route 44, where we make a right (west) and let the long, steep descent carry us all the way into Salisbury, past the White Hart Inn and back to our starting point at Town Hall.
That’s the route: a relatively flat 1,500 feet of climbing with minimal car traffic. We usually reward ourselves with post-ride refreshments on the White Hart lawn.
I hope you enjoy this local gem of a ride!
Kent Hiteshew is a Salisbury cyclist.
This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.
Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.
The ride starts and ends at The Farmer’s Wife Café in Ancramdale, a great place for lunch or refreshments after the ride. (The café is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). Parking is usually available between the café and the Ancramdale post office. But be courteous — don’t monopolize parking needed by the café’s guests and staff!
Here are the coordinates for the ride:
Turn left out of the parking lot of the Farmer’s Wife onto County Road 8.
At .5 miles, turn left on Crest Lane
At 1.9 miles, turn left on East Ancram Road
At 6.8 miles, turn left on County Road 3
At 7.0 miles, turn right on Wiltsie Bridge Road
At 7.7 miles, turn right on Empire Road
At 10.7 miles, go straight through the village of Copake onto Main Street.
At 11.1 miles, bear left onto Farm Road
At 11.3 miles, turn left on Mountain View Road
At 12.1 miles turn right on County Road 7A
At 12.3 miles, turn left on Snyder Pond Road
At 13.0 miles turn left to stay on Snyder Pond Road
At 14.2 miles, turn right on County Road 7
At 14.8 miles turn left on County Road 27 (This is where there is short hill.)
At 15.5 miles, make a hairpin turn to the left on County Road 27A. (This can be easy to miss so be on the lookout for it).
At 17.5 miles, go straight across County Road 7 onto Four Corners Road.
At 18.7 miles, turn right on Wiltsie Bridge Road
At 19.0 miles, turn left on Snyder Road
At 20.3 miles, bear left onto Roche Drive
At 20.8 miles, turn right on County Road 3
Follow County Road 3 back to Ancramdale and the Farmer’s Wife.
Jeremy Koch is a Norfolk cyclist.
Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.
Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.
Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.
On Sunday, July 6 at 2:30 p.m., the next master pianist, Yefim Bronfman, joins Andris Nelsons as he conducts the BSO in the Shed. Bronfman features in an All-Beethoven program. Hear the Leonore Overture No. 2 followed by the Piano Concerto No. 3, a deeply expressive work that highlights the lively interplay between the BSO strings, winds, and Bronfman’s piano. After intermission, experience the epic Symphony No. 5.
On Saturday, July 12 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons join pianist Seong-Jin Cho in celebrating the 150th birth year of Maurice Ravel. Expressive, sincere, and wonderful, Cho’s playing is bound to create a rich evening of music that includes “Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun” (Debussy), “Piano Concerto in G” (Ravel), “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand” (Ravel), and “La Mer” (Debussy).
On Sunday, July 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen will be a superb combination, along with the energetic young Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Kuusisto comes from distinguished musical lineage, and he’s equally captivating whether performing classical works or masterfully weaving Northern European folk melodies. The program includes “Tumblebird Contrails” (Gabriella Smith), “Violin Concerto” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 5” (Sibelius).
On Saturday, July 19 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons present the Piccini’s “Tosca,” with special guest singers Kristine Opolais, Seok Jong Baek, Bryn Terfel, Patrick Carfizzi and the entire Tanglewood Festival Chorus, with James Burton conducting. Expect an unforgettable evening in the Shed, with beauty and brilliance at full volume—star power layered on star power.
Beginning Thursday, July 24 at 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall, the TMC Festival of Contemporary Music kicks off with Ortiz and the Mexican Tradition. This year’s festival runs through Monday, July 28 and features music of Mexican music educator and composer Gabriela Ortiz Torres, Carnegie Hall’s composer in residence for the 2025 season. This superb Festival within a Festival is a proverbial “Box of Chocolates”, where you never quite know what flavor is in the middle until you bite.
On Friday, July 25at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome Spanish-born violinist María Dueñas. At a mere 18 years old, Dueñas has already won the 2021 Menuhin Competition, including the audience award. The BBC also named her as its “New Generation Artist 2021-2023.” This program includes “Air,” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 (J.S. Bach), and “Adagio from Symphony No. 10” (Mahler) before Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto”,“Calm Sea”, and “Prosperous Voyage.”
On Sunday, July 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome pianist Lang Lang.Lang Lang is squarely in the 100% not to be missed category, and this afternoon the audience will be indulged with “La Calaca” (Gabriela Ortiz) for string orchestra, Piano Concerto No. 2 (Saint-Saëna), and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6, Pastoral.”
On Saturday, August 16 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra join with German conductor and concert pianist Anna Handler and young Italian-German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich to present the Brahms’s “Tragic Overture,” “Symphony No. 4” (Schumann), andTchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. The constellation this evening looks to become especially bright, colorful, and passionate. Plan to come early and stay late.
On Sunday, August 17 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra welcomes conductor Dima Slobodeniouk, who was born in Moscow and settled in Finland.Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is another musician not to miss; every appearance is fresh and lively. This program includes “Threnody (In Memory of Jan Sibelius)” by William Grant Still, “Piano Concerto No. 2” (Liszt), “Valse triste” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 3.” (Sibelius).
The 2025 Tanglewood season promises to be another exciting one. A quick note: the BSO has faced issues with ticket resellers posing as official sources and charging inflated prices. To avoid this, be sure to purchase tickets in advance only through bso.org.
