LEOMINSTER — The Leominster Conservation Commission on Nov. 18 approved a five-year order of conditions for aquatic vegetation control at Lake Whalom, matching the duration and terms issued by the Town of Lunenburg.
The notice of intent (NOI) for the proposed aquatic vegetation control on the lake, filed by Christopher Ruth on behalf of the Town of Lunenburg, proposes diver hand-pulling of invasive vegetation near swimming areas and limited herbicide use in sections of Lake Whalom. While most of the shoreline falls within Lunenburg, the portion touching Leominster’s border required review by Leominster’s conservation commission.
“Really, it’s a Lunenburg project basically,” Conservation Agent Jesse Averka explained, “but because of the shoreline that touches our city border, they needed to come before us.”
During the Leominster Conservation Commission meeting on Sept. 9, 2025, Matt Ladewig, a certified lake manager with TRC, appeared before the commission on behalf of the Town of Lunenburg to present the Lake Whalom vegetation control project.
Ladewig said the town’s goal is to manage “aquatic nuisance plants,” particularly near the town beach, where invasive species have become prevalent. “What the town would like to do is manage those excessive plant growths near the town beach and basically make it safer for swimmers while also removing invasive species that are considered a nuisance,” Ladewig said.
The proposed plan would include both physical and chemical control methods. Ladewig stated that the physical removal method would involve “diver assisted suction harvesting,” targeting the submerged invasive species Eurasian milfoil, variable leaf milfoil, and curly leaf pondweed. He explained, “It’s basically hand pulling, but then the divers feed the pulled plants into a suction lift and then the plants get dewatered on board and brought back to shore and then carted away.”
On the chemical side, he said the town plans to use two herbicides: “The first one is called ProcellaCOR and that one is specific to milfoils…it only affects the exotic milfoils and doesn’t have any impact on native plants.” Ladewig added that a second herbicide, “diquat dibromide,” — also known by the trade names Reward and Tribune — would be applied in areas containing mixed milfoil and curly-leaf pondweed, or in beds consisting solely of curly-leaf pondweed. He said this additional treatment is necessary because “curly leaf pondweed is not susceptible to the ProcellaCOR.”
Both products, he said, are “EPA registered and approved in Massachusetts for aquatic use,” and while the lake would be posted on the day of treatment and people would be advised not to use the lake on that day, “the lake would be open again the next day for use.” Ladewig added that algaecides were included in the proposal and could be used, if necessary, to control any algae blooms that might develop around the town beach.
During the Nov. 18 meeting, Averka said the commission had just been awaiting comments from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), and that the only remaining issue was procedural in nature.
“Their only comment was just a technical issue more than anything,” Averka said. “Some of the information in the NOI not being specifically related to the portion of the work that is in Leominster. So more of a procedural error that they are updating; they are going to be sending me that tomorrow.”
Averka said the procedural issue raised by MassDEP stemmed from how the notice of intent was filled out, explaining that the applicant had submitted Lunenburg’s specifications for the impacted resource area instead of measurements specific to the Leominster shoreline.
Averka said he had no substantive concerns with the proposal and noted the applicant’s request for a five-year order of conditions instead of the standard three-year term due to the annual nature of the treatment. Averka added, “You know, hopefully in five years they get somewhere and then maybe they can scale back.”
Commission Chair Chuck Raymond moved to approve the order of conditions with two conditions: mirroring Lunenburg’s order and extending the standard duration from five years instead of the standard three.
The commission voted unanimously to approve.
