Residents pelted Rochester’s Conservation Commission with concerns and alternative solutions Tuesday when the board re-opened its Notice of Intent hearing for the Town of Rochester’s proposed work with a harvester to cut and remove invasive aquatic weeds in Snipatuit Pond.
Commission Chair Christopher Gerrior started the meeting with the magnitude of the problem. He noted Snipatuit is the town’s largest pond, and that it sits at the head of the Mattapoisett River. In 2025, the water-choking invasive weeds milfoil and fanwort were so thick in Snipatuit boat propellers couldn’t operate and fish and shellfish below them die from losing oxygen.
The town commissioned a vegetation study that led to a suggestion that a harvester be purchased or rented to physically remove these weeds from the water. He said Senator Michael Rodriques is seeking to find state funding for the town’s harvester. The NOI proposes these plants would then be hauled off to be composted at a local landfill.
Residents crowding the room sparked a debate on whether the harvester would be permanent solution. The basic answer was no. Commission member Matthew Bache said an herbicide treatment would kill them more effectively but would have to be done slowly and methodically, treating small portions of the pond at a time. A harvester is how the town gets rid of the weeds quickly, Gerrior admitted, “But it’s not the whole picture,” he said.
Rick Charron, a member of the town Water Commission, noted a new harvester can clear 800 acres but not get the job done permanently. Resident David Eckhart asked if any scenario would allow weed harvesting to happen this season; the current timeline for acquiring a harvester sets its use at next year. “I don’t have any scenario,” Gerrior said, “I don’t see that as likely.” Former Commissioner Ben Bailey offered to pledge $10,000 to the effort if local citizens pledge $20,000.
Board members and residents alike considered other possible solutions such as dredging the pond, applying herbicides along with harvesting, installing boat wash machinery at pond boat ramp, and employing a Lake Manager to oversee a comprehensive plan. As a result of these ideas, the commission ultimately continued the NOI hearing to its next meeting but also moved to investigate chemical treatment and dredging options and learn how many acres at once the harvester would clear.
The next Rochester Conservation Commission meeting will be May 5 at 7:00 pm, at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco