LOPA supports the goal of maintaining sufficient abundance of aquatic vegetation for a healthy recreational fishery, while also minimizing invasive plants and encouraging native plants. LOPA periodically commissions aquatic vegetation assessments to study the aquatic plant population.
Aquatic vegetation assessments conducted in 2003, 2018, 2020 and 2022 identified a total of 27 aquatic plant species in Onota Lake. These species and their common names are listed in the accompanying table, along with the percentages of sampling locations at which the various species were present and dominant in each to the four surveys. Because the surveys were conducted at different times of year, under different conditions, and at only partially overlapping sampling locations, the results are not directly comparable. The fact that a plant was not found in a survey does not mean it is not present in the lake.
LOPA volunteers conducted a follow-up survey in July 2021 following the treatment of the lake in June with ProcellaCOR, a new systemic herbicide targeting Eurasian Watermilfoil. The volunteer survey showed that Procellacor was remarkably effective at controlling milfoil and that native plant species are making a strong comeback.
