Why all the concern about Eurasian Watermilfoil and other invasive aquatic species?
Three different invasive aquatic plants have been found in Cobbossee Lake, including Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) which is the most aggressive and threatening of them all.
One way that EWM spreads between lakes is by "hitchhiking" on boats and trailers. For example, a plant fragment caught on a prop in one lake can come off the prop in another lake and re-root, beginning a new infestation. All it takes is one plant to cause concern.
Once in a lake, if left unmanaged EWM can quickly spread throughout. When plant fragments are broken off by a boat or other contact, they drift, re-root and form more plants. This can happen naturally too.
It doesn't take long for EWM plants to form thick mats that displace native plant and animal communities and negatively impact lake water quality. These dense mats also obstruct boating, fishing, swimming and other lake activities and ultimately reduce the value of shoreline properties.
Including the three invasive plants already known to be in Cobbossee, a total of eight invasives have been found in Maine inland waters and another seven are on Maine's "Watch List".
The "Watch List" is based on DEP tracking of where our visiting boaters are coming from and what invasive species might be in the lakes they were in previously. Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed, Maine DEP and other organizations are working hard to stop the spread of these threatening species, but they can't do it without our help.
Eurasian Watermilfoil
European Frogbit
Photos courtesy of the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed
Variable Leaf Milfoil
want to know where invasive aquatic plants have been found on Cobbossee?
Just click the button above to access an interactive map of Cobbossee. Our partners at Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed will update this map throughout the summer so you will always have access to current information about locations in which invasives have been found.
These areas will be identifed by one of the markers featured here. To help prevent spreading invasives further, please avoid getting close to any of these markers.
Think you found an invasive plant?
See it. Snap it. Send it.
See it: If you think you’ve found an invasive aquatic plant, make note of its location so it can be found again.
Snap it: Take a photo of the suspicious plant. Do not touch or pull it out of the water. Any small fragments that break off could spread and re-root.
Send it: Email your photo and the location to ais@watershedfriends.com so Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed can identify the plant and determine if it needs prompt removal.
If you would like to help survey the lake for IAPs, please join CLA’s volunteer Adopt-A-Shoreline team. This group extends the critical surveying work of Friends of Cobbossee Watershed. Friends will provide the training and tools you'll need. Then you can paddle in an assigned section of shoreline to look for invasive plants, mark and report any suspicious findings to Friends, and they'll do the rest.
Please call Dennis Pollock at 413-441-9338 or Barry Nyer at 978-505-6612 to learn how you can help.