Williams Brook, Ledyard

Williams Brook is a 5-acre pond located within a municipal park, although the beach was closed to swimming during 2005. The town is installing aerators in the pond and making other improvements to the park and plans to reopen it during 2006.

A total of 10 species of aquatic plant were recorded in Williams Brook during our September 2005 survey. The most abundant of these were the floating-leaved lilies, yellow water lily (Nuphar variegata) and white water lily (Nymphaea odorata). These species occurred in large and small patches around much of the pond and were absent only from the pond's southeast shore. A particularly large patch of yellow and white water lily was recorded on the northern shore, east of a municipal swimming area.

Several other floating-leaved species also were recorded in the pond, including watershield (Brasenia schreberi) and spotted pondweed (Potamogeton pulcher), which occurred in small patches along the western and southern shores. Ribbon-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton epihydrus) was recorded in these locations as well but was less abundant, and snailseed pondweed (Potamogeton bicupulatus) was observed in several areas near the northern and southern shores. Submerged plants of pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) were observed near the shore in the southeast part of the pond, and slender naiad (Najas flexilis) and needle spikerush (Eleocharis acicularis) grew in one area near the northern shore.