Water Chestnut Survey Maps

The following survey maps show the density of water chestnut on the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord rivers from surveys done in 2013, 2014, and 2016. These surveys were supported with Nyanza Natural Resource Damages (NRD) Fund.

In 2013, CISMA coordinated the first comprehensive assessment of water chestnut infestations throughout the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord rivers, as well as approximately 130 acres of ponds in the Hop Brook Watershed. OARS, selected by the CISMA Steering Committee to lead the effort, surveyed more than 2,100 acres of river habitat between June and August using GPS-enabled GIS technology to map infestation locations, patch sizes, and patch densities. OARS staff worked with Mass Audubon to adapt and expand the GPS/GIS data collection system originally developed in 2012. In 2017, CISMA adopted the Water Chestnut Management Guidance & Five-Year Management Plan for the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord River Watershed, developed by OARS with support from the Nyanza Natural Resource Damages Fund. The Water Chestnut Subcommittee formed through this effort later evolved into today’s Aquatic Invasive Management Subcommittee (AIMS).

This project provided the first watershed-wide picture of water chestnut distribution and established the foundation for coordinated management across the SuAsCo watershed. Today, OARS has built on that work with the Water Chestnut Reporting App, which allows volunteers, municipalities, and partner organizations to report new infestations and view existing records in real time. The app provides a much more efficient way to track the spread of water chestnut, identify priority areas for management, and coordinate removal efforts across the watershed.

Water Chestnut Surveys – June to August 2016