Moosup Pond, Plainfield - 2012
Moosup Pond is a 96-acre lake located in Plainfield, CT. A town beach was built on the southern shore. Most of the shoreline is equally developed for residential use or undeveloped forest. A small dam is located in the middle of the eastern shoreline.
The 2012 CAES IAPP vegetative survey of Moosup Pond is a resurvey from 2008. The 2012 survey found 24 aquatic species compared to 29 in 2008. The 2012 survey found one invasive, variable-leaf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum). This is similar to the invasive found in the 2008 survey, but the hybrid version (Myriophyllum heterophyllum x laxum) was found in that survey year. Many of the same plants were found growing in the lake in both survey years. Plant communities seemed to have filled in some areas such as the eastern cove in the 2012 survey. The area in which plants grew in the southern cove does not extend as deep as in the 2008 survey year.
The 2012 survey found a few species co-dominantly inhabiting the lake. These include the natives western waterweed (Elodea nuttallii), ribbon-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton epihydrus), and eelgrass (Vallisneria americana). Variable-Leaf watermilfoil was also a co-dominant species. The northern portion of the lake was the most species rich, 16 species were found growing there. The native mudmat (Glossostigma cleistanthum) and slender naiad (Najas flexilis) were found growing only along the western shore.
Plants found in the 2008 survey but not in the 2012 survey were water starwort (Callitriche species), coontail(Ceratophyllum demersum), spineless hornwort (Ceratophyllum echinatum), variable-leaf watermilfoil hybrid (Myriophyllum heterophyllum x laxum), sedge (Carex), flat-leaf bladderwort (Utricularia intermedia), and zig-zag bladderwort (Utricularia subulata). Plants found in the 2012 survey but not in the 2008 survey were variable-leaf watermilfoil and leafy pondweed (Potamogeton foliosus). Overall the 2012 survey showed that Moosup remained a healthy ecosystem since the 2008 survey.
Other Moosup Pond Surveys: 2008