European Frog-bit tucked between the reeds and wetland plants.

Update from Sharon Mann, 7 Lakes Alliance Invasive Aquatics Diretcor
August 28, 2026

Recently, I paddled down Great Meadow Stream to conduct a routine survey for the few remaining, scattered plants of invasive variable-leaf milfoil. The stream looks absolutely stunning right now.  The water is crystal clear allowing the impressive stands of flatstem pondweed to shine through. The juvenile fishes are swarming in and out of the native pondweeds. And the bees are busily extracting nectar from flowering arrowhead and pickerelweed. The plants have speckled the stream banks with white and purple in the most impressive display I have seen since becoming a part of this community. Among the flowers and deep in the marsh I spotted something new: a small heart shaped lily pad that I have not seen in Great Meadow Stream yet. My immediate response is “hello, cutie, who are you?”

An Unwelcome Discovery

Head in the clouds and filled with whimsy from the beautiful surroundings, I quickly snapped back to reality. This new species is not a friend, its name is European Frogbit, and it is an invasive species in North America. After the initial shock, I proceeded through the seven stages of grief, lingering particularly on anger. 7 Lakes Alliance and its partners spent sixteen years restoring Great Meadow Stream. Our team and partners invested thousands of hours, millions of dollars, and an enormous amount of passion into this project. And yet, a new invasive species was introduced. Who could have been so careless, so thoughtless, to bring a new threat into this sacred space?

European Frog-bit scattered among the Spatterdock and reeds in Great Meadow Stream.

Then came acceptance. It takes only one boater who fails to inspect equipment to start a whole new infestation. European Frogbit is in a handful of water bodies in the Cobbossee Watershed. Although we don’t know for sure, it is likely someone visiting Cobbossee picked up the plant on their equipment before coming to the Belgrade Lakes Watershed. So far, we have found and removed only a small amount of Frogbit, about three gallons. The areas where we have identified the plant are located at the southern end of Great Meadow Stream, a very popular destination for bass fishing.  Since the plants were found far from public boat access points, it is likely the plants were on unseen equipment such as an anchor or fishing line.

We will not know the extent of the damage to Great Meadow Stream immediately. This species produces turions, a type of winterbud,which new growth emerges from in the spring. While we removed all the Frogbit found thus far, we do not know how many turions lie in wait.

What We Do Know

7 Lakes Alliance is here for the long run. The 7 Lakes Invasive Aquatics team will continue surveying Great Meadow Stream and removing invasive aquatic species. One new discovery does not erase sixteen years of restoration work.  We are not giving up on this remarkable place.

Skipping a self-inspection can cause real harm. Clean, Drain, Dry is not just a slogan. It is one of the simplest actions everyone can take to protect the waters we all love. Inspect your boat and equipment. Remove every plant fragment. Drain every compartment. Clean your gear. Let it dry before entering another waterbody.