The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and its Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Aquatic Plant Control Research Program, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (MA DCR), is leading a demonstration project to safely reduce and control the spread of the Connecticut River hydrilla. Demonstration project activities will determine the effectiveness of herbicides that are registered for aquatic use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to. Building and expanding from previous herbicide demonstration work successfully completed within the State of Connecticut in 2024, the demonstration project is scheduled to expand into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2025. Water exchange dynamics (dye studies) are expected to occur in 2025, within the southern Massachusetts reach of the Connecticut River, to guide a future herbicide demonstration there in 2026.
See the USACE Hydrilla Demonstration Project Connecticut webpage to read more about how USACE will treat hydrilla, educational materials including project fact sheets, media messaging document, information about dye studies, the NEPA Environmental Assessment, and more. Many of the same resources remain applicable to the work that will occur within Massachusetts.
Will the hydrilla treatment impact recreation and fishing in the Connecticut River?
The hydrilla treatment should have minimal-to-no impact to recreation in the Connecticut River. Other than when contractors are on-site carrying out treatment, where some restricted public access may be needed, no long-term closures or restricted access is currently anticipated with this work. Regarding fishing, the treatment is expected to have minimal to no effects on fishing or to fishing access.