Individuals pose for a picture at the LMPA’s spring cleanup in April. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

The Lake Maspenock Preservation Association has three goals for the next year: preservation, safety and community.

The LMPA solidified these goals at its annual meeting on May 12, which covered events from the last year, elections for open board seats and feedback from members. The Independent recently sat down with newly appointed LMPA president Sabine St. Pierre to discuss the group’s aims for 2025 and beyond.

On the preservation side of things, the LMPA is hoping to continue promoting measures to protect the lake from invasive weeds and contaminants. St. Pierre noted that the town’s conservation administrator, Judy Day, recently gave a presentation to the group regarding how stormwater can contribute to weed growth.

“Everything filters down through stormwater,” said St. Pierre. The presentation also included ways of reducing those issues, which can include everything from non-phosphorus fertilizers to rain gardens and other barriers. 

“She did a great job, and it seemed well received,” St. Pierre said.

She went on to say that stormwater drainage is an ongoing problem in managing invasive weed growth in Lake Maspenock, and that work with Day and other town officials to manage the problem is ongoing. 

The LMPA’s most recent action in managing the weeds in Lake Maspenock was an herbicide treatment applied in June of 2024. The herbicides were applied in targeted areas and monitored afterward to measure impacts on weed growth, the surrounding ecosystem and lake users. 

A survey by the Lake Maspenock Weed Management and Control Citizens Input Group (CIG) in August 2024 showed a significant decrease in weeds. According to CIG chair Joe Baldiga, factors over the winter, including a drawdown of the lake, make the weed forecast for this year look more favorable.

The CIG was set to conduct its biannual weed survey last month.

The choice to use herbicides on the lake has raised criticism from some residents. Despite assurances that both wildlife and users of the lake have not been affected by the chemicals, detractors — including members of the Sustainable Green Committee — raised objections over the herbicides’ toxicity and impact on native species.

Wendy Gendron from Aquatic Restoration Consulting examines a Lake Maspenock weed sample with LMPA president Sabine St. Pierre last month. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

St. Pierre made it clear that the herbicide treatment was not the LMPA’s first option for dealing with the weeds at Lake Maspenock, and the organization will continue to find other avenues of mitigating the situation as much as possible.

“The goal is to keep pushing off another weed treatment until absolutely necessary,” she said. She also noted that the LMPA has been pushing for 10 years for a viable solution.

Moving forward, St. Pierre said the organization is looking to develop a new subcommittee that would focus on weed management and stormwater drainage. It ideally would include members of the Department of Public Works, the SGC, town conservation officials, CIG representatives and more.

She characterized the development of the subcommittee as one of the LMPA’s biggest goals of the coming year.

“We have all these groups, but they don’t necessarily work together,” St. Pierre said. “These conservation meetings … [have] really got to be kind of a collective effort.”

She added that the LMPA is a “small group of volunteers, and we’re not always the experts.”

Work on lake safety issues continues

The safety of those who visit Lake Maspenock is a major concern for the LMPA. St. Pierre noted that the biggest problems occur after hours and with jet skiers. 

“People just crawl out of the woodwork,” she said. “The people coming in are being unsafe.” She cited examples of boaters getting too close to swimming areas, underage jet skiers and lack of proper safety equipment as areas of concern. 

“It’d be one thing to share the beach with people who are respectful and safe,” she said.

The LMPA is coordinating with its municipal partners to try to curtail these issues. She noted that LMPA representatives met with the Hopkinton Police Department, Massachusetts Environmental Police, the Parks & Recreation Department and the DPW in April to discuss the upcoming season and mitigate issues identified at the end of last summer.

Parks & Rec is working to implement new policies at Sandy Beach, including increased daily fees and not selling passes at the gate, to deter some folks during regular operating hours. St. Pierre noted that her group has asked the Environmental Police to increase their presence on the lake and the HPD to continue patrolling the beach parking lot.

“We’re hoping that patrolling after hours and ticketing cars that do not have passes will deter people who were coming in who weren’t being so safe,” she said.

“Hopefully we’ll see a noticeable difference in not seeing as much dangerous behavior out on the lake,” she added.

LMPA maintains flagship events

St. Pierre recounted some of the LMPA’s community events and highlighted the importance of the involvement of both the group’s members and the larger community that uses Lake Maspenock.

“You really can’t help your mission without community,” St. Pierre said.

Flagship events for the LMPA include its annual Family Fun Day, which was held in early June, a July 4 boat parade and a late-summer cornhole tournament. In May, the group hosted its second Maspenock Mile, a road race/family walk organized by member Chris Stevenson.

“It was super fun,” said St. Pierre, describing how the event drew in close to 50 people of all ages. She noted that the LMPA is planning to make the event a more formal gathering next year.

LMPA shifts board, recognizes Gibbs

At its meeting in May, the LMPA saw changes to the structure of its board. Former president Jaime Gonsalves resigned his post after 10 years, noting plans to move to Cape Cod.

“He is going to be greatly missed,” said St. Pierre, who took over his position after serving as vice president. She lauded his work with the LMPA and his experience in environmental protection.

The LMPA also gave out an award to Dave Gibbs in recognition for three decades of involvement in Lake Maspenock activities. Named after Gibbs, the award will continue on and be awarded annually to those who have gone “above and beyond” in their volunteer efforts.

“It was a really nice moment to give Dave his award that night,” St. Pierre recounted.