Taunton Lake, Newtown - 2022

Final Report

Taunton Lake is a 124-acre private waterbody located in Newtown, CT. It has a maximum depth of about 9 meters (30 feet) and an average depth of about 6 meters (20 feet). The lake’s littoral zone extends approximately 25 – 75 meters (82 – 246 feet) from shore. Access is available to the Newtown Fish and Game Club (NFGC), their guests, and shoreline residents. Taunton Lake is stocked with brown, rainbow, and brook trout by the NFGC. Large and smallmouth bass, white and yellow perch, crappie, sunfish, and other fish species are present.

Since the 1950’s, Taunton Lake has changed from a waterbody with a sandy/gravelly bottom with few plants to a silty/muck bottom with luxuriant plant growth. However, since the introduction of triploid grass carp in 2013, 2015, and 2016, aquatic vegetation in the lake has significantly declined. Invasive Eurasian watermilfoil was once the dominant plant species in the lake but is now sparse. Invasive water chestnut was found in 2019 and immediately pulled. Fortunately, it was not found in the 2022 survey. Nine native aquatic plant species were observed in 2022. They were extremely sparse and growing in very shallow areas (less than 2 feet deep) where grass carp would have difficulty reaching. The decline in aquatic plant abundance since the grass carp introductions has led to the littoral zone coverage to fall below the 20 - 40 level considered ideal for healthy populations of fish and other aquatic organisms.

Taunton Lake’s water has had relatively stable water clarity and surface total phosphorus. Other water chemistry parameters showed the lake to have moderately high pH, alkalinity, and conductivity. This creates conditions favoring invasive curlyleaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, and minor naiad as well as invasive zebra mussels. Minor naiad and zebra mussels have yet to be observed in Taunton Lake. Continued surveillance at intervals of at least five years are suggested.

Other Taunton Lake Surveys: 2019, 2017, 2014, 2010, 2009