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The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

AN ACT FURTHER REGULATING CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE LAKE QUINSIGAMOND COMMISSION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 294 of the acts of 1916 is hereby amended by striking out sections 1A and 1B, inserted by section 1 of chapter 357 of the acts of 1973, and inserting in place thereof the following 2 sections:-

Section 1A. The commission shall assist town, city and state agencies, departments, boards and commissions by coordinating, conducting or administering activities of water quality monitoring, pollution control, vegetation control, recreation management and fact-finding in Lake Quinsigamond and its watershed located in the city of Worcester and the towns of Shrewsbury and Grafton and shall cooperate with state agencies and conservation commissions with any research and fact-finding studies concerning Lake Quinsigamond and its watershed.

Activities to be undertaken by the commission pursuant to this section shall be subject to the availability of any necessary funding.

The commission shall, not later than March 1, submit an annual report to the boards of selectmen of the towns of Shrewsbury and Grafton, the mayor of the city of Worcester and to the commissioner of conservation and recreation. The report shall include information about the commission’s activities and finances for the prior calendar year and any planned future activities, along with estimated costs for the present and subsequent years. The report shall also include the commission’s assessment of the current state of Lake Quinsigamond and its watershed. 

Section 1B. The commission may accept and solicit funds, donations, grants or bequests, from any source, including appropriations, reimbursements or other funds from the city of Worcester, the towns of Shrewsbury and Grafton and the commonwealth for any activity of the commission as authorized in section 1A.

SECTION 2. Said chapter 294 is hereby further amended by striking out section 2 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 2. The commissioners may, after notice and a public hearing held in the city of Worcester or the town of Shrewsbury or Grafton, establish reasonable rules and regulations for: (i) the protection and policing of the waters of Lake Quinsigamond within the city of Worcester and the towns of Shrewsbury and Grafton, including the waters below Stringer dam that extend to the south outlet of Hovey pond; (ii) permitting and regulating the use of motor boats, other boats and canoes in Lake Quinsigamond; and (iii) regulating the conduct of persons upon, or bathing in, the waters of Lake Quinsigamond. The commissioners may, as necessary and after notice and a public hearing, add to, amend or repeal the rules and regulations. 

SECTION 3. Section 10 of said chapter 294 is hereby repealed. 

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved, February 9, 2018.