Willand Pond invasive milfoil removal finishes for the season

posted on 7/14/2026

The city contractor removing the invasive milfoil plant from Willand Pond completed its work for the 2026 season last week.

Community Services Director John Storer provided a progress update to the City Council at its July 8 meeting on the removal contract the City Council authorized earlier this year for $149,000. The cost was partially offset by a $19,535 exotic aquatic plant control grant from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. 

The milfoil was removed by the firm C&D Underwater Maintenance utilizing the DASH method: diver-assisted suction harvesting. Underwater divers pulled out milfoil with a suction tube and boat-mounted pumps to remove the plant and its rooting system without the use of herbicides.

The contractor began the work on May 27 and demobilized from Willand Pond on July 10.

Storer said the divers had already removed 50,000 gallons of wet, milfoil material, enough to fill about 20 large dump trucks. The milfoil has been transported to McGuire Organics LLC on Crosby Road for composting.

NHDES had previously estimated the infestation to be 28 acres of 86-acre pond, about a third of the water body.

“While they pulled a lot out, I think the big question is going to be how effective it was and how much area got treated,” Storer said.

The effectiveness will not be known until later this summer when a NHDES limnologist completes a post-harvest survey. A limnologist is a scientist who studies inland aquatic ecosystems, such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and wetlands, focusing on their physical, chemical and biological processes.

Storer thanked the team that assisted through the contract, including Willand Pond abutter Kim Faustino, who allowed the contractor a base for its operations during the contract.

Faustino also provided an update during the City Council’s public forum, saying it’s been good experience working with the contractor and seeing the milfoil removal process close-up. “It’s very labor intensive,” she said about the work, noting that the invasive plant is likely to remain in Willand Pond and will need ongoing maintenance to keep it under control.

For more information, contact Community Services at 603-516-6450.