UPDATE: The treatment of the water of Coes Reservoir on Wednesday has been postponed due to forecasted rain. The work will be rescheduled at a later time.
The original story is below.
WORCESTER – The City of Worcester Department of Sustainability and Resilience advises residents to suspend all uses of water from Coes Reservoir for the day on Wednesday, June 28.
The city contracted for the treatment of the water for water chestnut (Trapa natans) an invasive aquatic plant. The herbicide imazamox (trade name Clearcast) will be applied to the water.
Residents should suspend irrigation of plants or lawns or watering livestock, and to keep clear of application boats for the duration of the day. Recreational use in the swimming area may continue but boating in the northern portion is prohibited on the day of treatment. The city says that the application of herbicides is a common practice to reduce invasive weed density and poses no risk to humans and animals after application is complete, though water use for irrigation is discouraged.
The water will be open for all uses again on Thursday, June 29. Warning signs on beaches will be posted prior to the application.
