If you launced your boat on Candlewood Lake from one of the many ramps throughout Greater Danbury over the last weekend, you may have noticed one of the new Lake Stewards there to inspect your boat.

In an effort to keep Candlewood Lake safe from any invasive species, the Candlewood Lake Authority has launced a new program through a grant from the Connecticut Department Of Energy and Environmental Protection. 

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The CLA has hired a number of what they are calling Lake Stewards to provide a free boat inspection to help identify and stop the spread of invasive species that attach themselves to boats.

Back in May, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced the recipients of the inaugural round of grants that would be used to fund the Invasive Species program. The program allocated up to $360,000 to some 21 projects with the sole purpose of reducing the impact of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut.

The Lake Stewards main responsibility will be to identify certain types of aquatic invasive species such as Zebra mussels and Hydrilla, two of the most serious threats to the Candlewood Lake ecosystem.

Lake Stewards will be posted at boat ramps all around Candlewood Lake on peak boating days, weekends and holidays. They will not only be there to inspect your boat, but to educate boaters, offering invasive species education, give out needed information, and to help demonstrate to boaters how to look for these invasive species on their own.

Of course, for years the Candlewood Lake Authority has been telling boat owners to clean, drain, and dry their boats before launching in Candlewood Lake.

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