8334-R3_ML&P_LSLA_2023_SummerNewsletter_Web

Invasive Hybrid Variable Milfoil Program- 20 Years Later Coordinators: Pam Wilkinson & Tim Greer 131 tons removed- Surpasses 1 Million Dollar Removal Cost

In 1999 invasive milfoil was reported. After a few years it had exploded in various coves and DEP analyzed it was a hybrid form of invasive milfoil. After a few years using volunteer hand pulling the efforts were beyond making a difference. A suction dredge assisted with divers’ hand-pulling the roots was developed by Bill Shelley and his crew. Twenty years later we have made a big difference. Originally a daily haul could be up to 80 twenty-pound bags, then in a few years 40 and today occasionally we will get 9 bags. The plant is aggressive and left unchecked will grow back to the dense patches we once had. That’s why your continued support is imperative to maintaining our special place on the lake and property values. If you see unusual plant growth in the lake it probably is native. Plants have a cyclical cycle and ever so often they will appear more abundant. If you have concerns and question what is in your area, please contact pwilkinson@littlesebagolake. com to come and identify if it is in fact invasive. Thanks to one report we found a new dense bed

behind Rope Swing Island- 30 bags retrieved in 2021, 9 bags taken in 2022, we now revisit that area often. Our milfoil crew will be on the lake from June to September. Please stay at least 200 feet away from the milfoil pontoon operation. There have been several near misses with boats going too close to the diver, especially in coves, and the wave action compromises the suction intake causing operation shut down and milfoil escaping back into the lake. Please slow down for the safety of the crew and operation. On the top of the next page is a grid of amounts taken, hard costs and volunteer in-kind costs. Thank you to DEP, Towns of Gray and Windham, our membership, milfoil crew and volunteers who make this program a success.

Processing Operation to Invasive Plant Stay 200 feet away for operation safety

Processing Operations DA-HIPPO-Diver Assisted Hydraulic Invasive Plant Processing Operations

Milfoil Team at Work Photo taken by Virginia Micucci

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