AMESBURY — The mayor is proposing to use $45,000 of town money to help treat Lake Attitash, which has been dealing with an invasive weed known as milfoil and a bacteria known as blue-green algae.
Lake Attitash Association has been raising money to pay for the $90,000 to treat the lake, but has been able to raise only half of the money. The town's payment will help the association reach their goal.
"We need to do something to prevent our lakes from dying," Kezer said.
District 5 Municipal Councilor Joe McMilleon asked the mayor to sponsor the bill.
"This is a really good thing," said McMilleon, who lives near the lake.
"(The lake) is also our secondary resource for drinking water," he added.
The bill will get a first reading at the next Municipal Council meeting on Feb. 14 before being sent to the finance committee for review.
The group already has approval from the state and the conservation commissions in Merrimac and Amesbury to combat milfoil and the blue-green algae with two different herbicides.
One hundred acres is infested with milfoil, which kills a number of native plants.
The blue-green algae can also be dangerous for swimmers' health, and high levels can shut down the lake for weeks or months.
The money is being taken from "free cash," of which the town has more than $1 million, Kezer said.
In the upcoming budget talks, McMilleon hopes the mayor and the council will put away money each year as a reserve fund when issues for the town's lakes and waterways occur.
"Even if it's a small amount, whatever we can afford ... so we can do some of these projects each year," McMilleon said.
Proposed Lake Attitash treatment
The herbicide proposed to attack the milfoil is known as fluridone. If approved, it would be applied in pellet form. The fluridone is slow-acting and needs to be in contact with the milfoil for 60 to 90 days. Aquatic Control Technology, the company working with the association, recommends two to three applications over the 60- to 90-day period. The association is proposing to undertake the treatment plan in May.
Association members are also working in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency to determine the root of the blue-green algae, which is caused by an "overload of nutrients," by taking samples around the lake and analyzing the results. The herbicide copper sulfate is being proposed to treat the bacteria, but that plan may change based on the findings by the EPA, according to the association.
While both herbicides are approved by the EPA and the state Department of Environmental Protection for use in drinking water supplies, Amesbury Public Works director Robert Desmarais asked the Conservation Commission to create a set of guidelines if it approves the treatment plan.
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