Paddlers Needed on Sat. June 19 @ 9 a.m.

The Jonah Center and the Connecticut River Conservancy need paddlers this coming Saturday, June 19, at 9 a.m., to pull out water chestnut from the Mattabesset River. It is critical to remove these plants before they grow larger and become entangled with hydrilla, another invasive aquatic plant that is a threat to local waterways. If you are not a paddler but know someone who is, please forward this message.

Information about water chestnut, including a video on how to remove these plants, may be viewed here. An excellent video on the hydrilla problem can be viewed here

. Our paddle will launch from our usual location -- the boat launch across the railroad tracks from 181 Johnson Street. Please click here to register. Due to Covid-19, masks for the unvaccinated and other precautions are requested in the parking lot and on the ramp when social distancing is not possible. CRC and the Jonah Center will provide bags and gloves, but we suggest bringing your own gloves that only you have worn and that fit you best. Heavy dishwashing gloves that cover the lower arm are ideal. Gloves are recommended because we are pulling up the plants by the roots, and that brings up mud. Also, the spines on the nuts are sharp.

Our first priority is to remove plants that are in the main channel and where the water is deeper. Plants growing in the shallows are too numerous to remove and somewhat less damaging to the river ecosystem. We can turn to the shallows once all the plants out in the channel have been removed. I hope to see you on Saturday.

John Hall, Jonah Center