Milfoil found in Cobbosseecontee
Copyright © 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
WEST GARDINER — Variable-leaf watermilfoil has been found in sections of Cobbosseecontee Stream in the vicinity of Horseshoe Pond, putting the invasive plant uncomfortably close to several nearby ponds and lakes.
Maine's Department of Environmental Protection posted news of the infestation — the state's latest — on its Web site Tuesday.
The stream is the 14th site in Maine where the ropy, fast-growing aquatic plant has been found.
"It pretty much goes along the edge of the stream, there's a lot of wetlands there, so it's going along the edge of the wetlands," said Karen Hahnel, a DEP biologist who visited the site. "It could be in Horseshoe Pond, but we don't know that for a fact."
The milfoil is a species of plant that does not belong in Maine and typically crowds out native underwater plants in any area where it is introduced.
A single fragment of the plant can start a new colony. The milfoil can spread over acres of water within a few years — particularly in shallow areas.
Cobbosseecontee Stream is a popular fishing and paddling destination, and it drains Cobbossee Lake, a large, heavily used lake surrounded by camps and homes.
An obvious concern is whether the milfoil can spread upstream and get into the lake, but Hahnel said that is unlikely unless a plant fragment gets snagged on a boat or trailer that is later launched into the lake.
"There's a significant dam right at the outlet of the lake itself," Hahnel said. "This stuff doesn't necessarily travel upstream, it's going to travel downstream more naturally, but it could be transferred on boats, and that is more of a concern."
If the plant spreads downstream, that puts Pleasant Pond in its path. The long, narrow pond drains into the Kennebec River in Gardiner.
The plant was discovered by a local property owner who notified the DEP. Hahnel surveyed the area and then the department sent a botanist from the Maine Natural Areas Program to check the site.
The botanist confirmed the presence of milfoil on both shores of the stream near Horseshoe Pond, and in smaller patches upstream of the Route 126 bridge.
The plant could actually have spread far beyond areas where it has been confirmed, Hahnel said.
"We have not looked in depth yet," Hahnel said.
There has been no time for the department to formulate a plan for handling the infestation other than the standard approach of encouraging local volunteers to attend workshops on identifying the plant.
Efforts in Maine and in other states where invasive plants are a much bigger problem have demonstrated it is nearly impossible to eradicate exotic plant species once they are introduced to a lake, stream or river.
Maine has ramped up its attempts to stem the spread of the plants in recent years, financing some of the latest efforts with money from the sale of "Preserve Maine Waters" stickers to boaters, who must pay $10 for resident stickers and $20 for nonresident stickers.
Many experts believe the plants are most often spread in fragments caught on boats, motors or trailers.
Despite an increase in volunteer boat inspections and plant patrols, and tougher scrutiny of boats by Maine wardens, experts say educating the public is the most effective way to slow the spread of the plants.
The DEP confirmed the presence of variable watermilfoil in two other Maine water bodies this year: Bryant Pond in Woodstock and Hogan Pond in Oxford.
Jonathan Humphrey — 861-9252 jhumphrey@centralmaine.com