Herbicide Use Would Poison Candlewood Lake, Petition Says

BROOKFIELD, CT — An online petition has been started in protest of the use of herbicides and algaecides on Candlewood Lake by the Town of New Fairfield, a move in which petitioners argue would poison the lake.

The petition has garnered support in communities that surround the lake, which include Brookfield, Danbury, New Milford, Brookfield and Sherman as well as New Fairfield. Petitioners argue that town officials intend to use 60 acres of herbicides and up to 150 acres of algaecides on the lake; without input from residents, the Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA), state officials and other stakeholders.

"Candlewood is a shared resource- no individual Town should be allowed to poison the waters of Candlewood to achieve short term control-what one Town does in its waters affects all of Candlewood," reads the petition."Candlewood is not a swimming pool to be managed by chemicals but is a fragile, interconnected and interdependent waterbody that must be carefully managed."

According to a report by the News Times, the town of New Fairfield hired Solitude Lake Management to apply the herbicide Diquat and up to 160 acres of copper sulfate to treat blue-green algae when blooms appear or are about to appear.

The report cites New Fairfield First Selectman Susan Chapman, who stated that the town is not poisoning the water and that the herbicides have been widely used in both Connecticut and nationwide.

Blue-Green Algae can be potentially harmful for users of the lake. In June, the CLA warned residents of the algae which is known as Cyanobacteria. The CLA regularly warns residents of the blue-green algae blooms. In a Facebook post back in June, the CLA warned that contact with the algae can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation.

Symptoms become more serious if the algae produces toxins, which can be particularly harmful for children and small pets. Symptoms can affect the liver and kidneys, as well as affect neurological functions.

"If the water by you looks like there is a green film on top of it, or looks like "green paint" is covering it and you suspect a blue-green algae bloom - you (and your pets) should not go in the water while it is present." the CLA posted on their Facebook page.

The petition was started by Scott Randall, a Sherman resident who serves on the board of directors for Candlewood Lake Estates in Sherman. Residents from across the country have commented on the petition in support; many of whom are from Brookfield, Danbury and other nearby towns.

The DEEP must approve the permit application, and is accepting comments to deep.pesticidepermitting@ct.gov. You can also view the petition by clicking here.

Image of blue-green algae provided by the Candlewood Lake Authority