Saving Sebago Cove from the Green Monster

April 8th, 2011 categories: Sebago Lakes Region

Calm waters on Sebago Lake

Sebago Cove in Naples, Maine is a protected 200-acre cove at the northern tip of Sebago Lake. Several years ago Variable-Leaf Milfoil was discovered in this area known for its idyllic wooded lots and quiet cove with easy access to Sebago Lake, Brandy Pond and Long Lake.

Lakefront Properties For Sale on Sebago Lake

Variable-Leaf Milfoil (VLM) is an aggressive, invasive species that chokes out native plants and animals by forming dense mats and impairing recreational uses of waterways. Maine has six species of native milfoil, but it’s VLM that causes the most concern. There is no historic evidence that VLM is native to New England, though it is native to southern states.VLM is found in shallower waters up to eight feet in depth. The plant spreads by fragmentation. If the milfoil gets chopped up by a boat’s motor, the broken pieces can spread and form new colonies. If not controlled, the plant will continue to spread and impede recreational uses of the lake.The Save Sebago Cove association, a non-profit organization, has been working to educate people about the problem and to eradicate the plant. Led by President Ed Lapham, the group encourages everyone to follow the “Five Steps toward a Clean Cove”:
1)    Clean your boat and trailer of all aquatic vegetation before launching into a lake and after pulling out of a lake.
2)    Let the association know of any suspected Milfoil infestations you find.
3)    Education and Eradication, including the proper disposal of Milfoil, is important.
4)    Awareness–make neighbors and newcomers aware of the problem.
5)    Navigation–stay clear of large weed patches while operating a boat to avoid spreading plant fragments to other sections of the lake.In 2010, the Save Sebago Cove (SSC)association was chosen among seven lake associations by the Maine Milfoil Consortium for a multi-year program to combat VLM. Federal Funds administered through this program allowed the SSC to purchase mats that block sunlight from reaching the milfoil, thus smothering the plant, as one effort. Grants and fundraising also helped the group retrofit a pontoon boat and equip it to become a DASH (diver assisted suction harvester) boat. A suction harvester allows a diver to hand pull milfoil, which is then sucked up by a vacuum. Later, the milfoil is packaged for composting at St. Joseph’s College.

Elizabeth Schran of the Maine Milfoil Consortium recently addressed the Milfoil Summit held at the USM-Lewiston/Auburn campus. She and other speakers stressed the “need for a unified effort to address the environmental threat of Variable-Leaf Milfoil.”

Lakefront buyers should think about the response by the lake associations to an infestation. The stronger the association, the better the response. Our lakes are only as good as the people who take care of them.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 8th, 2011 at 4:31 am and is filed under Sebago Lakes Region. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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