Eagleville Lake, Coventry

Eagleville Lake is a 79.6-acre reservoir located on the border of Coventry and Columbia, CT. There is a state-owned dam and two boat ramps located on the south end of the lake. Both ramps are car top/carry in only. There is an 8 mph speed limit on the lake. The lake is shallow with the deepest portion in the south near the dam at 2.5 meters. Much of the lake is less than 1 meter deep.

This CAES IAPP survey found 15 native species and one invasive species of aquatic plants. The invasive was fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana), and it was the most dominant plant in the lake. It grew in very large, dense patches that sometimes extended across the lake reaching both shores. Eight transects consisting of 10 points each (80 points total) were taken around the lake. Fanwort was present on 81% of the points where it usually reached the surface.

Three native emergent species with floating leaf were common: watershield (Brasenia schreberi), yellow water lily (Nuphar variegata), and white water lily (Nymphaea odorata). Watershield and yellow water lily were the dominant native plants in the lake. The survey team could not navigate to the ends of the larger coves and the northern tip due to the abundance of these two species. Surveying had to be done at the edge of the passable area. 

The most species rich area of the lake was in the north. Nine species of plants were found including watershield, fanwort, western waterweed (Elodea nuttallii), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), floating-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton natans), humped bladderwort (Utricularia gibba), and common bladderwort (Utricularia macrorhiza). The northern end was the only portion of the lake where common bladderwort was found. Other plants found with less frequency were coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), spineless hornwort (Ceratophyllum echinatum), spikerush (Eleocharis species), primrose-willow (Ludwigia species), small pondweed (Potamogeton pusillus), and arrowhead (Sagittaria species).