While water chestnut would literally take over the river from shore to shore, the Mystic River Watershed Association and many partners battled the invasive plant with the help of mechanical harvesters and by organizing volunteer hand-pulling events.
Water chestnut (Trapa natans) is native to Asia, Europe and Africa. It was introduced in 1897 by a gardener as an ornamental plant in Fresh Pond in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since then, it has spread to rivers and lakes throughout the commonwealth. Eradication efforts of water chestnuts in the Mystic River have been ongoing.
MyRWA is happy to report that in 2014 it had its most successful year yet! More than 940 volunteers hand-pulled 6,603 baskets of water chestnuts and the aquatic plant harvester removed 1,000 tons of water chestnuts this year.