The Beginning
LMPA was established because of a "weed invasion"! The first general meeting to discuss rampant weed infestation in Lake Mishnock was held at the Lake Mishnock Volunteer Fire Department on August 12, 2004. The meeting offered an opportunity for 70+ area residents to voice their concerns. In response to that meeting and several others, The Lake Mishnock Preservation Association, Inc. (LMPA) was formally established in March 2005.
Invasive weeds, which already choked Little Mishnock, were spreading over the entire lake. These invasives had created a crisis, and action was needed. In order to learn more about combating invasive weeds and to obtain professional advice, LMPA consulted with the nearby Tiogue Lake Association, which had similar problems, and with two lake-treatment businesses. As a result of these consultations, LMPA authorized Aquatic Control Technology to seek the required permits from the Department of Environmental Management. Another general meeting was held April 19, 2005, at the Mishnock Barn (200 Mishnock Road, West Greenwich) and provided the public with detailed information on the lake's condition, and the proposed treatment. Permits were approved and treatment applied in June.
The results were excellent. Many residents on the lake have commented on the reduction of weeds. One said, "I haven't been able to swim from my dock in five years, but I can now!"
Fall colors from the dock
Enjoying the lake
Note the floating milfoil
While the leaves' color changes are beautiful, the out-of-control weed takeover was alarming. You can see the surface weeds (milfoil) in the above pictures. Little Mishnock, the smaller of the two joined ponds, was too dangerous for boating or swimming, especially for children, who could become entangled in the dense web of weeds.