Last month, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced the recipients of the fourth round of grant funding through the Aquatic Invasive Species Grant Program, with a total of $545,000 going to 13 projects to reduce impacts of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut.
Aquatic invasive species, such as Zebra mussels and Hydrilla, are a serious threat to our ecosystems. They negatively impact native plants and animals, they are extremely costly to control, and the dense mats formed by invasive plants make boating, fishing, and swimming difficult. This has a direct impact on both the quality of outdoor recreation in Connecticut, and the state’s outdoor recreation economy, of which boating and fishing are the largest contributors.
The grant announcement was made during Earth Week, and the same week the Biden Administration announced its America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge, a partnership to conserve and restore America’s rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands. Connecticut is an inaugural member of this initiative. Supporting aquatic ecosystem biodiversity, including addressing threats from invasive species, is one of the goals of the initiative.
“This week, I had the privilege of joining federal, state, and Tribal leaders at the White House Water Summit announcing the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge, highlighting Connecticut’s progress in preserving the quality of our state’s waterways and outdoor recreational opportunities. Aquatic invasive species are not just a threat to our ecosystems, they are a direct attack on fishing, swimming, and boating, the setting for many memorable outdoor recreation experiences,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. “These grants will help enable the recipients to do the critical work of researching and controlling aquatic invasives, which will safeguard the quality of our state’s natural resources.”
For this round of funding, DEEP awarded a total of $545,000 for eligible control, research and education, and outreach projects. The maximum grant award was $75,000. Matching funds were required and had to equal or exceed 25% of the total project cost. Municipalities, state agencies (including state colleges and universities), and not-for-profit organizations were eligible to receive grants through this program.
Eligible project proposals included conducting a project to restore an inland water body of the state through the control and management of a population of aquatic invasive species; research projects to enhance understanding and knowledge of aquatic invasive species and/or cyanobacteria blooms (must have direct practical applicability to lakes, ponds and rivers in Connecticut); and education and outreach projects intended to enhance public awareness of aquatic invasive species and/or harmful algal blooms in Connecticut and/or promote good practices to prevent the further spread of aquatic invasive species in Connecticut’s lakes, ponds and rivers. For control and management projects, the target species must have existed in the project water body as of December 15, 2023.
DEEP received a total of 41 project proposals requesting more than $1.6 million in funding. Of those, 13 projects were selected for funding based on our criteria. The projects receiving funding this round are:
| Organization | Project Location | Project Type/Description | Funding Awarded |
| Bantam Lake Protective Association | Bantam Lake | Education/Outreach: A Hydrilla Verticillata Prevention Program for Bantam Lake and Nearby Lakes in Western Connecticut | 15,875 |
| Bashan Lake Association, Inc. | State Boat Launch on Bashan Lake, East Haddam | Education/Outreach: Boat Launch Monitoring and Education on the Prevention of Aquatic Invasive Species at Bashan Lake, East Haddam, CT | 26,000 |
| Candlewood Lake Authority | Candlewood Lake | Education/Outreach: Candlewood Lake Steward Program to Educate Boaters on Aquatic Invasive Threatening Candlewood Lake | 25,724 |
| Connecticut River Conservancy (formerly CT River Watershed Council) | CT River and Tributaries | Control/Management: Water Chestnut Management in the Connecticut River Watershed | 34,188 |
| CT Agricultural Experiment Station – Office of Aquatic Invasive Species | Boat Launches Statewide | Research: Assessing the Movement on CT River Hydrilla to Boat Ramps | 42,366 |
| Farmington River Watershed Association, Inc. | Rainbow Reservoir, Farmington River, Windsor | Research: Investigating Cyanobacteria Blooms in Rainbow Reservoir (Farmington River) Windsor, CT | 28,749 |
| Housatonic Valley Association, Inc. | Lake Kenosia, Danbury | Control/Management: Water Chestnut Removal from Lake Kenosia in Danbury, CT | 30,399 |
| The Jonah Center for Earth & Art | Mattabesset River & Coginchaug River | Control/Management: Control of Water Chestnut Infestation in the Mattabesset River in Cromwell & Middletown, CT | 75,000 |
| Town of Coventry | Coventry Lake | Control/Management: Hydrilla Treatment for Coventry Lake | 75,000 |
| Town of East Hampton | Lake Pocotopaug, East Hampton | Control/Management: Management of New Hydrilla Found in Lake Pocotopaug | 75,000 |
| Town of Guilford | Lake Quonnipaug, Guilford | Control/Management: Invasive Aquatic Plant Management in Lake Quonnipaug, Guilford, CT | 22,950 |
| Twin Lakes Association | Twin Lakes, Salisbury | Control/Management: Control and Management of Hydrilla and Eurasian Water Milfoil at Twin Lakes, Salisbury, CT | 74,999 |
| West Hill Pond Association | West Hill Pond, New Hartford and Barkhamsted | Education/Outreach: Education and Outreach to Manage Invasive Species Growth at West Hill Pond | 18,750 |
The Aquatic Invasive Species Grant Program was made possible in 2019 when the Connecticut General Assembly established an Aquatic Invasive Species Stamp fee (Public Act 19-190) applied to all registered boats using Connecticut waters, to provide a dedicated funding source for the “Connecticut Lakes, Rivers and Ponds Preservation Account.” This account funds programs to protect the state’s lakes, ponds, and rivers by addressing aquatic invasive species and cyanobacteria blooms.
Connecticut has awarded approximately $952,700 to 46 projects statewide during the first three years of the AIS Grant Program. To learn more about aquatic invasive species in Connecticut, visit the DEEP website here.
