5574-R5_ML&P_LSLA_2018_Web_SummerNewsletter_Web

Milfoil Militia - 2018 Report 122 Tons of Milfoil Removed from Little Sebago Lake Pam Wilkinson

Reaping this invasive plant over the past 13 years has its successes and rewards but there is more to do. If left unchecked, the variable milfoil would have at least tripled clogging our lake. This would have impacted human usage for recreational activities, been harmful to our watershed including water quality and health; compromising the ecosystem. And last, but not least, affected the local economy in terms of business and taxes paid by diminishing property values. Presently we are concerned with our variable milfoil but we need to be aware of other invasive threats which are close to our lake’s borders. Invasive alien species are plants, animals, or other organisms that are introduced to a given area outside their original range and cause harm in their new home. Because they have no natural enemies to limit their reproduction, they usually spread quickly. While the milfoil has been reduced, meaning huge underground forests are gone but the rhizomes from the small plant are a continual problem. If left unchecked, small plants will turn into the large beds we once experienced. There is no magic answer on the horizon that will solve our milfoil problem. This is where our Milfoil Militia calls upon you! We need your eyes and become informed on the difference between native and invasive species. There are several links available on our website in the resource section of littlesebagolake.com which will help you become part of the team. Be proactive and report anything suspicious. The Milfoil Response Team will check your area to see if what you have is invasive. Do your part to prevent milfoil from spreading. Maintain the natural vegetation on the lake bottom of the lake to deter milfoil from taking root. Avoid placing sand on beaches that carries phosphorous which makes all vegetation in the water grow faster. It would be ideal to have a program where a person could organize the lake in a grid and

have volunteers systematically do plant patrols searching for invasive plants a couple of times a year and record the findings. You can learn how to do Invasive Plant Patrols through the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program. The goal is early detection so they can be removed before it causes problem in the lake. Perhaps one day that will be a reality. We are so fortunate to have a past crew member and master fisherman scout areas we receive reports from concerned lake residents of areas that may have milfoil. A native plant called water marigold has similar characteristics to the invasive variable milfoil. Most of the time when responding we find it is the native plant that we want to maintain to keep the milfoil from growing. Our diver reports there is a healthy bed of native plants growing and schools of fish that are more plentiful than before. Let’s all do our part to keep the plants native or invasive under control. Remember that sand contains phosphorous and acts like fertilizer for the underwater vegetation. Please inform your neighbors who want that sandy beach, as all of us would like, to avoid putting sand down. Take comfort that the Milfoil Militia Team is diligent each year adjusting to the changing conditions and developing plans for the invasive plant removal, monitoring and documentation on a regular basis throughout the summer. Thank you goes to those who report, those who volunteer and those who care to keep the lake in a native condition to avoid an imbalance that ultimately will cause negative impacts to the lake. It is only through your financial and in-king support that this program exists. We appreciate your generous donations to keep Little Sebago a place we all can enjoy.

Milfoil Militia Team Co-Coordinators Pam Wilkinson / Tim Greer

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