Laurel Lake, New Hartford - 2022
Laurel Lake, also known as Lake Lausanne, is a 16-acre private waterbody located in New Hartford, CT. The lake has limited access to homeowners and lake association members. There is a dam on the northern end of the lake, a private beach on the eastern shore, and a few private residences that surround the lake. Motors are not allowed on the lake and there is no boat launch. Laurel lake has a maximum depth of approximately 22 feet. It offers wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities for lake association members.
The 2022 survey of Laurel Lake found 16 native aquatic plant species and 1 invasive aquatic plant species. Minor naiad, the invasive aquatic plant species, was found in various areas of the lake but mostly in the southern half of the lake. A description of minor naiad is located in the appendix. Minor naiad was found in 2022, after not being found in 2020 for the first time since surveys began in 2012. This was expected since minor naiad propagates from seed each year. The 2022 survey found the most native aquatic plant species of all survey years. There were 3 more native species found in 2022 than in 2020. Berchtold’s pondweed, common duckweed, and variable pondweed were new species that have not been recorded in previous surveys. Berchtold’s pondweed was found most frequently. There were large patches in the middle of the lake and along the eastern shoreline. Berchtold’s pondweed is very similar to small pondweed and snailseed pondweed, so it may have been present in previous survey years and misidentified. The next most abundant species was waterwort and then spikerush. Common duckweed was found in small abundance in the southern area of the lake and in the western cove. Variable pondweed was also found in the southern area of the lake and the western cove, and in small abundance in the northern part of the lake. There were 2 native species, small pondweed and watershield, that disappeared from 2020 to 2022.
|
Species recorded in the 2022 survey of Laurel Lake. |
|||
| Arrowhead | Berchtold's pondweed | Bur-reed | Cattail |
| Common bladderwort | Common duckweed | Eelgrass | Floating-leaf pondweed |
| Large-leaf pondweed | Minor naiad* | Phragmites* | Primrose-willow |
| Quillwort | Ribbon-leaf pondweed | Snailseed pondweed | Spikerush |
| Variable pondweed | Waterwort | Yellow water lily | |