Echo Lake is losing the fight. 

As the weather turns warm each spring, and the grays and browns that surround the water burst into shades of green, the fanwort comes alive. Fanwort is no friend to Echo Lake — it is an invasive plant species that, once introduced, spreads quickly through the water. It draws in more than its fair share of oxygen from the water, killing off other plants and most fish. 

Fanwort, which has been banned for trade by countries around the world, can turn an otherwise healthy pond into a stagnant marsh, and then, eventually, into a meadow.

Ned Barton has been warning the town council about the situation at Echo Lake, and is working with the group Preserve Echo Lake, which aims to spearhead a restoration effort. 

Months ago he stopped by a town council meeting seeking support for the group’s effort — there are companies that can treat the water at Echo Lake and knock down the fanwort. It is a process that needs to be repeated every so often, or else the invasive water weed returns, Barton said.

Barton, who has lived in Barrington for many years, said at the earlier council meeting that treating the 23.5-acre pond will cost about $28,000. He was seeking a financial commitment of $20,000 from the town and pointed to the town’s reliance on Echo Lake as a drainage point for nearby neighborhoods. Barton said that if Echo Lake was to become a swamp, there would be an immediate and significant impact on homes throughout Roberta Plat and other neighborhoods. During rain events and other storms, those neighborhoods could experience an increase in flooding. 

Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll agreed.

“When the flood comes, we need a place for it to go,” he said. 

But some town officials, including members of the Barrington Resilience and Energy Committee and Conservation Commission, have voiced concerns about using public tax dollars to fund an environmental restoration project on private land. Echo Lake, officials said, is actually owned by Rhode Island Country Club.

During the June 6 meeting, Carroll and other councilors referenced the use of public money for private property. 

“It is a concern,” he said, adding, however, that it would not be the first time.

Carroll said that in previous years, Barrington has kicked in public money for projects on private land, including at Echo Lake. At a prior meeting, Carroll said Barrington spent $8,000 to address the invasive species at Echo Lake in 2017. 

Barton said that money is gone, used for a prior treatment. In fact, the commitment needs to be a consistent contribution, Barton told council members. The longtime resident said the treatments for fanwort and other invasive species, including phragmites, need to be every few years. He said he was trying to acquire a 10-year permit from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council to treat the invasive. Barton said he had discussed the issue with the previous town manager, Jim Cunha, and thought the funding was going to be included in the municipal budget, but that did not happen.

Carroll had asked Barton if Rhode Island Country Club was committing money to the restoration effort. In the past, the club had contributed, but officials said it did not appear RICC was making annual contributions.

During the June 6 council meeting, Barton returned and spoke again about Echo Lake. He said the price for treating the fanwort and phragmites has increased to about $34,000. Barton said officials at RICC have “definitely” committed $5,000 to the project. He also said he was confident he could collect funding from neighbors also. 

Carroll referenced concerns voiced by the Resilience and Energy Committee and Conservation Commission about the town’s role in the project — some group members believed the impact on stormwater runoff for nearby neighborhoods would not be dramatic; there was also a question about using public money for private property.

Council member Jacob Brier said splitting the cost of the work was an appropriate approach to the project, with taxpayers picking up half the bill and the country club paying the other half.

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey said he had been talking with club officials about the situation in the past. He said the club had been willing to consider granting permanent public access to the pond. Hervey said he was interested in continuing the talks now. Barton, a member of Rhode Island Country Club, said he would happily reach out to club officials to re-kindle the discussions between the town manager and RICC. 

What it looks like now

On Friday afternoon, some sections of Echo Lake reflected the bright blue sky, taking on a deep blue color with glints of bright white sunshine. But closer to North Lake Drive, where there’s a small dirt pull-off for fishermen and bird-watchers, fanwort dominated above and below the water. An area larger than a basketball court was a solid mass of the invasive plant. A closer look into the water showed the billowing plant spreading out. 

Barton has been watching its progress closely. To the council members on June 6, he issued another warning: “It’s out of control.”