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Thames River Basin Partnership

5 months ago

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the recipients of the fifth annual round of funding through the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program, with a total of $400,000 going to 12 projects, 3 of them are in Windham County, that will reduce the impacts of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut.

DEEP received a total of 29 project proposals for this year’s highly competitive grant round, with funding requests totaling more than $1.1 million. Grants were awarded based on criteria established by the AIS Grant Oversight Review Committee, which is composed of DEEP staff from various parts of the agency as well as external representatives from the Connecticut Federation of Lakes and Rivers Alliance of Connecticut. (Full committee membership can be found on the AIS Grant Program website).

Invasive species, such as Hydrilla and Zebra Mussels, are a serious threat to freshwater ecosystems and outdoor recreation. Invasive species can negatively affect native plants and animals, and the dense mats formed by invasive aquatic plants can seriously hamper boating, fishing, and swimming. These species often are costly and challenging to eliminate once established, necessitating intensive control and education efforts to prevent further spread.
The AIS Grant Program is a major component of DEEP’s strategy to combat the threat of aquatic invasive species (AIS). This program funds projects proposed by municipalities, state agencies, and non-profit organizations to address the impacts of AIS on inland waterbodies in Connecticut. DEEP has previously awarded approximately $1.5 million to 59 projects during the first four years of the AIS Grant Program.

“Aquatic invasive species are a serious threat to Connecticut’s freshwater ecosystems and the state’s outdoor recreation economy, of which boating and fishing are the largest contributors,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. “The projects funded by the 2025 AIS Grant Program will amplify the efforts of the coalition of state and federal agencies, municipalities, non-profits, universities, lake associations, and concerned citizens working together to protect our state’s waterways from aquatic invasive species.”

“The 2024 CT DEEP AIS grant for the control of the Connecticut River strain of Hydrilla in East Twin Lake was critical given the high cost of Hydrilla control measures and the multiple scientific studies needed to guide our lake management efforts,” said Grant Bogle, President of the Twin Lakes Association. “We are grateful for all the support and cooperation provided by DEEP as we battle this aggressive new invasive species.”
The Jonah Center, Inc. received a 2024 AIS Grant for a volunteer-supported control project of Water Chestnut in the lower Mattabesset River. “We get 20-40 paddlers out on the water for every Saturday morning work party,” said John Hall, Executive Director of the Jonah Center. “Every time staff and volunteers return to the launch site having collectively cleared up to 2,000 pounds of invasive water chestnut plants, they are excited to have made new friends, happy to be a little tired, wet, and muddy from the workout, and amazed by the beauty of the river and abundance of ospreys, turtles, egrets, herons, frogs, and muskrats in the area. Volunteers thank us for the opportunity to do something positive for the environment and have so much fun at the same time.”
The projects receiving 2025 funding are:


Amos Lake Association
Amos Lake, Preston
Control/Management: Control and Management of Hydrilla and Milfoil at Amos Lake
$20,000.00
Candlewood Lake Authority
Candlewood Lake, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, and Sherman
Outreach/Education: Candlewood Lake Steward Program to Educate Boaters on Aquatic Invasives Threatening Candlewood Lake
$27,553.75
Connecticut River Watershed Council
Connecticut River, Glastonbury, East Hartford
Control/Management: Water Chestnut Management in Keeney Cove
$44,172.00
Friends of Farm River Estuary
Pages Mill Pond, North Branford
Control/Management: Trapa Control at Public Access Pond Leverages Watershed-Wide Farm River Trapa Management
$34,052.97
Friends of Great Hill Pond
Great Hill Pond, Portland
Control of Curlyleaf Pondweed and Fanwort in Great Hill Pond, Portland CT
$23,683.00
Little Pond Improvement Association
Little Pond, Thompson
Control/Management: Little Pond, Thompson CT, Milfoil Removal
$13,790.73
Moosup Pond Lakefront Association
Moosup Pond, Moosup
Control/Management: Moosup Pond Aquatic Invasive Species Control and Treatment
$12,990.00
Quaddick Lake Association
Quaddick Lake, Thompson
Control/Management: Control/Management of Variable-Leaf Watermilfoil, Fanwort, Water Chestnut and other invasive species within Quaddick Lake Thompson, CT
$28,875.00
Town of Coventry
Coventry Lake, Coventry
Control/Management: Hydrilla Treatment for Coventry Lake
$75,000.00
Town of Guilford
Lake Quonnipaug, Guilford
Control/Management: Invasive aquatic plant management in Lake Quonnipaug, Guilford, CT
$22,950.00
Town of Mansfield
Eagleville Lake, Mansfield/ Coventry
Control/Management: Implementing a long-term strategy and educational campaign for Fanwort and Water Chestnut Management in Eagleville Lake, Mansfield CT/Coventry CT
$21,932.55
Twin Lakes Association
East Twin Lake, Salisbury
Control/Management: Control and Management of Hydrilla
$75,000.00


In 2019, the Connecticut General Assembly created dedicated funding to address AIS via Public Act 19-190, which established an AIS Stamp and associated fee that applies to all registered boats using Connecticut waters. “The individual anglers, hunters, and boaters that purchase an AIS stamp provide the financial support for the AIS Grants Program,” said DEEP Fisheries Division Director Pete Aarrestad. “This is an amazing example of how meaningful conservation work is made possible through the financial support of the outdoor recreation community.”
Important Changes to the AIS Stamp
Due to the passage of Public Act 23-154 by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2023, the AIS Stamp fee no longer will be collected by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) at the time of vessel registration but will instead be collected by DEEP. Effective October 1, 2024, Connecticut residents or non-residents operating a vessel on Connecticut’s inland waters must purchase a $7 Individual AIS Stamp or a $20 Vessel AIS Decal which must be permanently affixed to a vessel (AIS Decal may be subject to an additional processing fee). Both the Individual AIS Stamp and the Vessel AIS Decal can be purchased via the Online Sportsmen Licensing System and are valid until the end of the calendar year in which they are purchased. Individuals operating a vessel on Connecticut’s inland waters who do not possess an Individual AIS Stamp and are operating a vessel without a Vessel AIS Decal affixed are subject to a fine of $85. For more information on the changes to the AIS Stamp and instructions on how to purchase the Individual AIS Stamp or Vessel AIS Decal, please visit the DEEP AIS Stamp Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) website.

Important Changes to the AIS Stamp
Due to the passage of Public Act 23-154 by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2023, the AIS Stamp fee no longer will be collected by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) at the time of vessel registration but will instead be collected by DEEP. Effective October 1, 2024, Connecticut residents or non-residents operating a vessel on Connecticut’s inland waters must purchase a $7 Individual AIS Stamp or a $20 Vessel AIS Decal which must be permanently affixed to a vessel (AIS Decal may be subject to an additional processing fee). Both the Individual AIS Stamp and the Vessel AIS Decal can be purchased via the Online Sportsmen Licensing System and are valid until the end of the calendar year in which they are purchased. Individuals operating a vessel on Connecticut’s inland waters who do not possess an Individual AIS Stamp and are operating a vessel without a Vessel AIS Decal affixed are subject to a fine of $85. For more information on the changes to the AIS Stamp and instructions on how to purchase the Individual AIS Stamp or Vessel AIS Decal, please visit the DEEP AIS Stamp Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) website. ... See MoreSee Less