Uncas Lake, Lyme - 2019
2019 Aquatic Plant Survey Map of Uncas Lake
Uncas Lake is a 69-acre waterbody located in Lyme, CT. The lake is bordered by Nehantic State Forest on the western side and Beckett Hill State park on the northeastern side. There are a few private residences on the southeastern side of the pond and a state boat ramp on the southern end of the lake for carry-in watercrafts only. Because of the steep drop off in bathymetry of the lake there is only a small littoral zone that supports plant growth.
Our 2019 survey is the third CAES IAPP survey of Uncas Lake; the first was in 2004, and the second was in 2015. We found 19 aquatic plant species in 2019 compared to 26 in 2015 and 18 in 2004. No invasive aquatic plants have been found in Uncas Lake. Common reed (Phragmites australis) is an invasive wetland plant found in a small section of the eastern shoreline. Because it is not an aquatic plant, it is not listed as invasive in our survey.
Similar to previous years, the shoreline was populated with an abundance of native species in 2019. White water lily (Nymphaea odorata) was the most common plant followed by pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) and watershield (Brasenia schreberi). One species was found that is pending identification; it is listed as unidentified species.