Mystic River Water Chestnut Pull June 4

Volunteers pull water chestnut plants from the Mystic River last summer. Photo by Doug Shoop.

For the second year in a row, several local organizations are teaming up to continue efforts to rid the Mystic River of the invasive European water chestnut plant.

The water chestnut, which has flourished in the Mystic for several years, forms a dense canopy of leaves floating on the water surface, displacing native species, compromising the aesthetic value of the river, and impeding recreational activities.

Groundwork Somerville, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and the Friends of the Mystic River conducted two water chestnut hand pulling events last year. Working from canoes, kayaks and small boats, volunteers removed an estimated 7,500 pounds of unwanted plant material. That work, combined with large-scale mechanical harvesting last summer, cleared several acres of river surface of the water chestnuts.

But many of the plants remain in the river and starting to emerge for the season. So, the groups are planning their first community hand-pulling event on Saturday, June 4, from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will launch their vessels next to 75 South St. in Medford. The water chestnuts will be pulled out and placed into laundry baskets, then transferred to a boat provided by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, transported to shore and hauled away for composting.

Anyone wishing to participate in the June 4 event is asked to register online at http://bit.ly/mRnSIQ, or RSVP by email to jonathan@groundworksomerville.org. In your RSVP, please indicate your full name, phone number and email address, and whether you will need a canoe (a limited number of them will be available). Subject line should read, “RSVP June 4 water chestnut event.”

All boaters are required to wear a life preserver or personal flotation device. Volunteers under age 18 are not allowed to paddle without a parent present.

Volunteers are also needed to work onshore, transferring the water chestnuts for disposal.

For more information, visit the website www.mysticriver.org.

– Submitted by Ken Krause, Friends of the Mystic River