Laurel Lake, New Hartford - 2024

2024 Aquatic Plant Survey Map of Laurel Lake

Transect Data | Water Data

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 2024 aquatic plant survey was the sixth survey of Laurel Lake performed by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) Office of Aquatic Invasive Species (OAIS) since 2012. In 2024, we found 15 aquatic plant species including one invasive: minor naiad (Najas minor). Minor naiad is an annual that propagates from seed each year. There was less minor naiad found in 2024 compared to 2022, but it occurred in many of the same parts of the lake. The majority of minor naiad was found in the southern half of the lake, with a small population found in the very north end of the lake by the cattails. Two wetland species were also mapped: native cattail (Typha species) and invasive phragmites (Phragmites australis). The phragmites was found in the same spot as in 2022, by the western cove of the lake, and was roughly the same size.

The number of species found in Laurel Lake has remained consistent over the six surveys (13 in 1012, 15 in 2013, 16 in 2018, 13 in 2020, 17 in 2022, and 15 in 2024); however, vegetation abundance throughout the southern portion of the lake has increased each survey since 2018. In 2024, native Berchtold’s pondweed (Potamogeton berchtoldii) and eelgrass (Vallisneria americana) were more abundant throughout the lake than in 2018, 2020, and 2022. There were also more instances of Berchtold’s pondweed, eelgrass, spikerush (Eleocharis species), and large-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius) by the cattails in the northern section of the lake. Snailseed pondweed (Potamogeton bicupulatus) and variable pondweed (Potamogeton gramineus) were the only two species not found in 2024 that were found in previous years. No new species were detected in 2024. Overall, vegetation abundance is increasing in Laurel Lake but vegetation is rarely negatively impacting recreation or wildlife habitat.

Previous Laurel Lake Surveys: 2022, 2020, 2018, 2013, 2012