Courtesy Boat Inspections
It's our best defense against spreading Eurasian watermilfoil among Maine lakes
One of the best ways you can help protect Cobbossee and other lakes from invasives is to take your boat to a CBI site every time you launch your boat and every time you take it out.
Taking your boat to one of the two public launches or two private launches to have it properly inspected is critical for lake health.
Please refrain from using private put-ins, despite how accessible they may be through a neighbor or your own back yard. Instead, please go to one of the sites listed below where trained inspectors will look at your boat and trailer. And look for CBIs when you take your boat to other waters.
Invasive Aquatic Plants such as Eurasian Water Milfoil spread from lake to lake by "hitchhiking" on boats and trailers.
Have your boat inspected at the following local launches:
Public launches staffed by Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed inspectors
~ Monmouth Boat Launch: Rt 135, Monmouth
~ East Winthrop Boat Launch: Rt 202, East Winthrop
Private launches with trained inspectors
~ Lakeside Lodge & Marina: 77 Turtle Run Rd, East Winthrop
~ Birches Lakeside Campground: 201 Norris Point Rd, Litchfield
Please do a Self-Inspection of your boat, trailer and equipment if a trained inspector is not available. Although Friends is heavily staffing Cobbossee's public launches, at times an inspector may not be there. Also you may visit other lakes that don't provide CBIs. In both cases, please conduct a thorough inspection yourself.
And remember that inspections are as important when taking your boat OUT of Cobbossee as when putting it in. We all have a responsibility to protect other Maine waters and not spread the invasives that have infested our lake.