Laurel Lake, New Hartford - 2018
2018 Aquatic Plant Survey of Laurel Lake
Laurel Lake is a 16-acre private waterbody located in New Hartford, CT. It has limited access and a private beach in the middle of the eastern shore. There is a dam on the northern end of the lake.
The CAES IAPP performed the third survey of the lake in 2018. The first survey was in 2012, the second in 2013. Compared to previous surveys, aquatic plant species were much less abundant. The same two invasive species were found, brittle waternymph (Najas minor) and phragmites (Phragmites australis), however less abundant. A new patch of phragmites was discovered near the dam at the northern end, and brittle waternymph was only found at the southern end of the lake.
Sixteen native species were found during the 2018 survey, one more than in 2013. The majority of the plants were found in the southern portion of the lake, specifically south of the island. The most common species were quillwort (Isoetes species), spiral pondweed (Potamogeton spirillus), and bur-reed (Sparganium species). Water plantain (Alisma species) and slender waternymph (Najas gracillima) were the two species found in 2013 that were not found in the 2018 survey. New species found were watershield (Brasenia schreberi), yellow waterlily (Nuphar variegata), and spiral pondweed. Overall the species composition remained similar to previous years, but the abundance was much less in 2018.
| Species recorded during our 2018 survey of Laurel Lake. Scientific Names *Invasive Species |
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| Arrowhead | Large-Leaf Pondweed | Spineless Hornwort |
| Brittle Waternymph* | Primrose-Willow | Spiral Pondweed |
| Bur-Reed | Quillwort | Tapegrass |
| Cattail | Ribbon-Leaf Pondweed | Watershield |
| Common Bladderwort | Small Pondweed | Waterwort |
| Common Reed | Spikerush | Yellow Water Lily |