Lake Elise, Middlebury - 2011

   Lake Elise is a 15.5-acre lake located in Middlebury, CT.  The lake and its surrounding land is owned and maintained by the Middlebury Land Trust. The shoreline is wooded and there is no development around the lake. A path circles the lake to use for hiking. The lake has no public boat access and is relatively shallow with the deepest depth of about 2 meters. A dam is located at the southern end.

   The 2011 CAES survey found 15 species in the lake, including one invasive. The invasive found was fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana). Fanwort was found in great abundance, forming a thick ring around the entire lake. It was the most dominant plant found during the survey. Five floating plants were found: white water lily (Nymphaea odorata), watershield (Brasenia schreberi), yellow water lily (Nuphar variegata), common duckweed (Lemna minor), and great duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza). White water lily was the most frequently occurring floating plant followed by watershield. The largest patches of these plants were found in the northern end of the lake. Other frequently occurring native plants were western waterweed (Elodea nuttallii), small pondweed (Potamogeton pusillus), ribbon-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton epihydrus), and humped bladderwort (Utricularia gibba). Some natives such as, water starwort (Callitriche species), spineless hornwort (Ceratophyllum echinatum), low watermilfoil (Myriophyllum humile), and arrowhead (Sagittaria species), were found in the lowest abundance with only a few small patches near the shoreline of the lake..

Other Lake Elise Surveys: 2018, 2023