At the end of May, our new milfoil survey team began the season’s work of looking for invasive variable milfoil on Androscoggin Lake, focusing on the Inner Cove, where we had removed the milfoil last fall. Unfortunately, we found that the plants had grown back and were covering an even larger area than last fall. Most plants were in 3-4 feet of water, with several already growing to within a foot of the surface.
On June 7th, staff from the DEP joined us and carefully removed all the plants we had found, which filled one-third of a large garbage bag. We are continuing to survey the cove, five days a week, monitoring regrowth and looking for plants in other areas. We have now found milfoil scattered throughout a larger area and in deeper waters. So far, the infestation appears to be small enough that we remain optimistic for a good outcome. Our strategy is to be as thorough and aggressive with our efforts now to prevent its spread and save hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars in future years. Yellow DEP buoys that say “Avoid Milfoil Area” mark the outside edge of the area where plants have been found. Please do not enter this area. Boat props and fishing lures can fragment the plants, causing them to spread into other parts of the lake. Photo: Our milfoil survey team staff members Silas Mohlar and Gus Cooke surveying the Inner Cove.
