3 yacht clubs to close

Groundwork Somerville on Monday, Sept. 13, plans to oversee the application of aquatic herbicide to selected patches of water lilies that have become overgrown on the Lower Mystic River around the Riverside Yacht Club and the Mystic Wellington Yacht Club in Medford, and the Winter Hill Yacht Club in Somerville. The controlled spraying will be conducted by Aquatic Control Technologies, which specializes in the removal and management of aquatic plant species. The spraying was put off Aug. 30.

For the treatment to be effective, there must be little to no water-surface disturbance near the application sites, allowing ample time for the herbicide to be absorbed into the plant tissue and then into the roots of the water lilies.

In support of the project goals, the three area yacht clubs have agreed to remain closed Sept. 13. The DCR public boat launch adjacent to the Mystic Wellington Yacht Club will also remain closed on that day. 

Groundwork Somerville is urging all recreational boaters to refrain from any boating activity on the Lower Mystic River on Sept. 13. If this is not possible, boaters should maintain a "no-wake" speed limit near the three yacht clubs. Boaters’ cooperation will be crucial to the success of the herbicidal treatment.

A rain date of Tuesday, Sept. 14, has been set for the application. 

The herbicidal treatment is part of Groundwork Somerville’s Mystic Invasives Removal Project, a multiyear effort to eradicate invasive water chestnut plants for the Lower Mystic River, and to address overgrowth of the native water lily.

Funded largely through a Massachusetts Environmental Trust grant, the project is made possible through an ongoing collaboration with the Mystic River Watershed Association, the Friends of the Mystic River, the Riveside, Mystic Wellington, and Winter Hill Yachts Clubs, and the Medford Boat Club, as well as countless community volunteers.

All aspects of the herbicidal treatment have been approved by the City of Medford and the City of Somerville, as well as state authorities.

For more information, contact Brad Arndt, Mystic River Projects Manager, at 617-455-1127 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .