Chase Reservoir, Killingly
2005 Aquatic Plant Survey of Chase Reservoir
Chase Reservoir, a 71.1-acre lake, has recently been acquired by the town of Killingly. The lake is surrounded by forest, and access is limited to boats that can be carried in between the trees. Although it is a natural waterbody, the water level was raised with the construction of a dam at the southern end of the lake.
Chase Reservoir supports abundant plant growth and no invasive species. Clasping-Leaf pondweed (Potamogeton perfoliatus) was the most abundant plant found during our August 2005 survey. It was found growing in dense stands in water at least 10 feet (3 m) deep and across the whole lake bottom. Eelgrass (Vallisneria americana) grew along the shore, virtually all around the lake, in water up to 6 feet (2 m) deep. Slender naiad (Najas flexilis) also was abundant, occurring in large patches throughout the lake.
Both small waterwort (Elatine minima) and bur-reed (Sparganium species) were found along the northwest and northeast shores. Watershield (Brasenia schreberi), white water lily (Nymphaea odorata), purple bladderwort (Utricularia purpurea), common duckweed (Lemna minor), large duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza), and watermeal (Wolffia species) were only found in small patches on the northwest shore of the lake. Sevenangle pipewort (Eriocaulon aquaticum), arrowhead (Sagittaria species), and yellow water lily (Nuphar variegata) were found on all of the shores except for the south shore, and yellow water lily was found in the middle of the lake. Tuckerman's quillwort (Isoëtes tuckermannii), spikerush (Eleocharis species), golden hedge-hyssop (Gratiola aurea), and brown-fruited rush (Juncus paleocarpus) were found in a few small patches along the west and east shore. Water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium) and common bladderwort (Utricularia macrorhiza) were only found on the north shore and charaphyte (Chara) was only found as a large patch in the southern end of the lake. Mudmat (Glossostigma cleistanthum) was restricted to several discrete patches near the shore in the southeastern part of the lake.