2007 Hydro-Raking Wraps Up
Overview: What the Hydro-Rake Does
2006 Program
2005 Program
2004 Program
2007 Hydro-Raking Wraps Up
October 19, 2007It began with flawless fall weather, and concluded under a cloudburst. The 2007 hydro-raking program spanned three days, and, for the first time ever, included properties bordering the Mill Reservoir.
As the first rays of the morning sun caught swirls of mist rising from the Pond, the hydro-rake chugged away from its Willard Circle launch site to begin three days of shorefront muck-removal.
Ten property owners signed up for the 2007 hydro-raking program. The list of participants was submitted to the Andover Conservation Commission, which must annually vote to okay the program before the rake can start its work.
October 17: The hydro-rake brings up a rakeload of muck in the Main Pond, as mist blankets the surface in the distance. Historically, the Conservation Commission has been very supportive of weed control efforts in Foster's Pond, and the annual vote to approve the hydro-raking has often taken less than a minute.
The 2007 vote proved no exception. At an evening meeting on October 16, the Commission unanimously endorsed the program. The vote came at about 9:30 p.m. In anticipation of the favorable vote, long-time hydro-rake operator Craig Hadley had launched the craft into the Pond earlier in the day. That meant he was ready to go at sunrise the next morning, and the first rakeload of muck came up at 7 a.m.
This year's participants included five owners on the Main Pond, three on the Channel, and - for the first time since hydro-raking started in 1992 - two on the Mill Reservoir. Together, they received a total of 25.5 hours of raking. Although the list of participants changes from year to year, the level of activity has remained fairly constant for the last three years.
The raking began in the Main Pond on October 17, moved to the Channel the following day, and ended in the Mill Reservoir around 1 p.m. on October 19. Lower-than-normal water levels presented something of a challenge in a couple of locations, making it difficult to maneuver the rake close to shore.
If you have questions about hydro-raking, please e-mail Steve Cotton.
The Hydro-Rake removes nuisance aquatic vegetation and debris (leaf material and decaying matter) from individual beach-front areas. The Hydro-Rake is basically a back-hoe with a rake attachment, mounted on a paddle boat. The
machine removes the roots and stems of nuisance aquatic vegetation up to a depth of 12 feet and can "clean" an average beach area 75 ft by 50 ft in approximately 1 to 2 hours, depending on the weed densities, depth and bottom characteristics. Removal of leaf litter, organic debris, or dense vegetation may require considerably more time.
The Hydro-Rake has no on-board storage. Each rake-full must be deposited along the water's edge, from where the property owner is responsible for hauling or trucking the material to a permanent, upland disposal site. The stuff can be used in your garden.
Hydro-Raking is performed in accordance with an Order of Conditions issued by the Conservation Commission. On Foster's Pond, individual property owners do not need to apply for a permit, but their sign-up forms MUST be included in a package of materials submitted for formal approval prior to the commencement of each year's Hydro-Raking.
We have used one contractor, Aquatic Control Technology, Inc., since we began Hydro-Raking in 1992.
For further information, contact Steve Cotton .
Hydro-Raking Starts (and Ends) Under Sunny Skies
October 13, 2006
The hydro-rake - which began its work in the main Pond October 10 under cloudless skies - was hauled out on October 13 in similarly picture-perfect weather.Long-time hydro-rake operator Craig Hadley launched the ungainly craft from
Willard Circle into glass-smooth waters around 10 a.m. on October 10. The first rakeful of muck came up shortly before noon.
Nine shorefront property-owners and the Foster's Pond Corporation signed up for a total of 26.5 hours of raking for Fall 2006. The list of properties included five on the main Pond and four in the Channel, plus a small amount of raking around the dam.
The list must be approved by the Conservation Commission each year. The Commission unanimously approved the 2006 list of participants at a meeting on September 19. Annual approval has become a routine matter, and 2006 was no exception.
The hydro-rake began its work in the Main Pond, moving to the Channel on Day 2. The work was finished on October 12, but the rake wasn't hauled from the pond until the following day.
THREE DAYS OF THE HYDRO-RAKE: 2005
The hydro-rake began its work on shorefront properties in the main Pond on October 11, with three days sufficing to finish this year's scheduled program.
October 2005
The rake was launched from Willard Circle on Columbus Day. It took a little more than an hour the following morning for the operator to fuel the craft and put up its rain flaps. The first load of muck came up from the bottom shortly before 8 a.m.
The rake finished its work in the main Pond in one day. Work in the channel started early in the morning on Day 2. The third and final day of raking was to conclude with a sweep of the Foster's Pond Dam.
On September 20, the Andover Conservation Commission unanimously approved this year's hydro-raking program for Foster's Pond. Ten shorefront owners - plus the Foster's Pond Corporation - signed up for hydro-raking this Fall.
With fanwort gone from their shorelines, most property owners put the hydro-rake on hold this year, but some saw an opportunity to make a bigger-than-ever impact on lilies and muck.
Four owners on the main Pond, and six on the channel, arranged for their properties to be raked this year, for a total of 24.5 hours. In addition the Corporation signed up for a half hour of weed removal near the dam. Last year, 13 participants had 29 hours of work done.
Although the results of the Sonar treatment have been dramatic, the lilies are going to bounce back next year, according to Marc Bellaud, senior biologist at Aquatic Control Technology.
Shoreline owners who want to get rid of lily roots, leaf litter and muck still need to rely on hydro-raking. And this year, with lily growth impeded by the Sonar, each hydro-rake scoop contained less lily biomass and more room for muck and roots.
ACT advised scheduling the hydro-raking after October 1, giving the Sonar the maximum amount of time to work to avoid stirring up (and potentially spreading) any live fanwort fragments.
The Conservation Commission must formally vote each year to approve the list of participating sites before the hydro-raking can be scheduled. No site can be added to the list at a later time.
FALL 2004 HYDRO-RAKING COMPLETED
October 2004
The hydro-rake finished work on Tuesday, October 12, having spent four days cleaning shorefronts at thirteen sites on the Pond.
The hydro-rake began scooping muck and weeds on Wednesday, October 6, following approval of this year's program by the Town's Conservation Commission at its meeting just the previous evening.
Thirteen property owners signed up for a total of 29 hours of hydro-raking this Fall - 17 hours in the main Pond, and another 12 hours in the channel portion of the Pond.
The hydro-rake cleaned the shores of six properties fronting the main portion of the Pond and another seven properties along the channel. The hydro-rake also removed a concentration of weeds in front of the sluiceway of the dam, making room for the Dam Committee to undertake repair work that will allow use of the stop logs to lower the level of the Pond.
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