SARANAC LAKE — The Friends of Moody Pond is the recipient of a $10,000 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Management and Spread Prevention Support grant.

The grant was made possible through federal funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, passed on to the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

Heidi Kretser, FMP president, submitted the grant application to LCBP.

“The project will support an intensive two-year harvest of Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) from Moody Pond to enable a transition to minimal maintenance and prevention activities for the long-run,” she said. “At this point, our efforts to reduce the presence of EWM are successful, but continuing progress and maintaining control of an invasive species like this one requires long-term diligence. As the AIS divers are still finding plants, we’ll need to continue our removal efforts for a minimum of several more years. We’ll also increase our education and outreach efforts to help reduce AIS introduction and spread.

“Ultimately, we will always have to keep watch for this and other invasives, as early identification is key to maintaining a healthy ecosystem,” she added.

Eurasian watermilfoil depletes oxygen, blocks sunlight and kills off native aquatic plants and animals. It was discovered in Moody Pond in 2018. At that time, estimates from the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) suggested that at least 3.5 acres, or 14% of the pond was infested with Eurasian watermilfoil.

A rapid response by the Friends of Moody Pond within the first year included educating pond users about invasive species control measures and surface collection to minimize fragmenting and spread.

In 2021, hand-harvesting by aquatic invasive dive teams (AIDT) began. The AIDT is made up of trained, certified divers who utilize a variety of techniques to locate and hand-harvest aquatic invasive species, including surface spotting from paddle boards, line or grid search swims, and even a submersible diver-assisted scooter.

During harvesting operations divers utilize a Hookah surface air compressor dive system for best efficiency in deep water, and mask and snorkel in shallow water.

Data collected by the Upper Saranac Foundation (USF) Aquatic Invasive Dive Team shows that there has been a significant reduction in the number of plants and poundage from previous harvesting operations. These are “strong indicators of successful management accomplishments,” a news release from FMP reads.

The USF divers will be back in Moody Pond several times over the summer months.

Divers will also be at the FMP’s fifth annual Ice Cream Social on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 4-7 p.m. They will be on hand to demonstrate how the equipment is used and will be available to answer questions about the program.

Organizers invite everyone to attend the event and enjoy ice cream, entertainment and a bit of Eurasian watermilfoil education on Moody Pond. This is also when FMP’s fifth annual online auction is concluded. Those interested can participate in this event beginning on July 13 at www.32auctions.com/FriendsofMoodyPond.

For more information about Friends of Moody Pond and their efforts to remove Eurasian watermilfoil from the pond, visit https://friendsofmoodypond.org/invasive-species-in-moody-pond.