2006 Aquatic Plant Survey Map of Gardner Lake 

Transect Data | Water Data

Gardner Lake is a 529-acre lake situated on the border between Bozrah, Montville, and Salem, CT.  An earthen dam raises the water level 4 feet, bringing the average depth to 14 feet and the deepest point near Minnie Island State Park to 39 feet. There is a state-owned boat launch on the southern shore, and aside from private residences, the developed portions of the shoreline are comprised of 2 campgrounds, a public beach, and private marinas and boating facilities.    

Gardner Lake is very diverse in vegetation. Our July 2006 survey found 30 aquatic plant species, including two invasive species, variable-leaf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) and fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana). Neither is currently very prolific, and they are found growing together or very close to one another in several protected coves. The largest amount of fanwort is in the northern-most cove. The shallow inlet near Minnie Island has the largest patch of variable-leaf watermilfoil.

 Almost all of the small coves have very similar vegetation. Yellow water lily (Nuphar variegata), white water lily (Nymphaea odorata), and some watershield (Brasenia schreberi) dot the coves. Underneath them are relatively large amounts of clasping-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton perfoliatus), with eelgrass (Vallisneria americana), ribbon-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton epihydrus), American bur-reed (Sparganium americium), western waterweed (Elodea nuttallii), and snailseed pondweed (Potamogeton bicupulatus). Ribbon-Leaf pondweed, clasping-leaf pondweed, eelgrass, charaphyte (Chara), and southern naiad (Najas guadalupensis) are often found growing together in shallow areas throughout the lake. 

Some plants are less widely common. Robbins' pondweed (Potamogeton robbinsii) is only on the west and east shores on the southern 1/3 of the lake. Quillwort (Isoetes species) is located in the northern-most coves. There are very few emergent species, with pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) and cattail (Typha species) being present. Consult the map for the locations of very sparse plants species that are not described here.