Invasive species are on the move
Invasive species are organisms (plants, animals, or other living things) that cause ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native. In their non-native range, invasive populations grow out of control as they lack natural predators, pathogens, and competitors.
7 Lakes leads the charge in invasive aquatics prevention, early detection, and remediation in the Belgrade Lakes watershed. Our robust Invasive Aquatics Program works closely with the Department of Environmental Protection and local lake associations to ensure that invasive species cause minimal harm to our lakes, so that they can be enjoyed by people and wildlife for years to come.
View Maine-DEP’s map of current infested waterbodies in the state.
Known Infestations in Maine
How can you help?
How can I prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants?
- Check for and remove all plants from boats, motors, trailers, and fishing equipment before and after launch.
- Know your lakes and avoid areas that have known infestations.
- Clean plant debris, mud, and algae from all boating and fishing gear and dispose of materials in the trash.
- Drain live wells, bilge water, and engine water away from the body of water.
- Dry any gear that comes into contact with the water.
How to join the prevention efforts?
- Adopt your Shoreline.
- Volunteer as a CBI.
- Attend an aquatic plant ID workshop at our office.
- Join an Invasive Plant Paddle.
- Keep your eyes out for invasive plants!
Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI)
When it comes to invasive species, prevention truly is the best medicine. Since invasive variable-leaf milfoil was found in Great Pond in 2009, over 2.5 million dollars has been spent to manage the infestation. Such costly remediation efforts can be avoided if everyone who enjoys the lakes, from sportsmen to kayakers, does their due diligence to properly Clean, Drain, and Dry all equipment that comes in contact with water after use.
Courtesy Boat Inspectors (CBIs; the friendly folks in yellow t-shirts at public boat launches) are the first defense against the spread of invasive aquatic species. As part of a state-wide initiative led by Maine-DEP, our CBIs are there to teach boaters on how to properly inspect all watercraft and equipment for invasive aquatic hitchhikers. The program provides an opportunity to connect and educate the community on the impact of invasive species as well as ensuring that boats do not become vessels for transport.
A team of paid and volunteer CBIs cover Long Pond, Great Pond, North Pond, East Pond, Messalonskee and Salmon Lake. This program is funded largely by local lake associations, as well as local towns, donors, and a cost-share grant funded by Preserve Maine Waters’ “Lake and River Protection” sticker.
CBIs ask boaters a few routine questions such as “where was the last waterbody this boat was used in?” to understand how and where invasive species are spreading. All CBI data is available to the public on Maine-DEP’ CBI Dashboard.
View Data
To become a paid or volunteer CBI, please email Invasives Coordinator, Josie Miller.
Adopt-A-Shoreline and Invasive Plant Patrols
The purpose of the Adopt-A-Shoreline program is to recruit volunteers who recreate in the Belgrade Lakes to search for invasive aquatic species. Early detection of invasive species is key to successful management. Once an invasive species becomes established in a new habitat, it is usually impossible to eradicate, forever altering that ecosystem. “Adopting” a shoreline means you pledge to survey a shoreline for invasive species twice a year. Some popular modes of survey include: kayak, snorkel/SCUBA, or a motorboat traveling headway speed. Any shoreline in the watershed can be adopted- even shorelines that are owned by someone else! Pick an area that is special to you, for example, your favorite paddle route. Volunteers do not need any formal training in aquatic plant identification to participate. Pledge to adopt your shoreline today!
Sign up for Adopt-A-Shoreline
What is the Adopt-A-Shoreline “pledge?”
1) Attend an invasive aquatic plant identification course
Plant ID workshops are held weekly at our office from June-September. Workshops are ~1 hour long. Attendees receive hands-on plant ID training and instructions on how to survey.
View Workshops
2) Survey your adopted shoreline twice a season
Surveys can be conducted via kayak, snorkel, motorboat, and paddleboard. Ideally, volunteers will conduct two surveys a year- one in the summer and one in the fall.
3. Report back and let us know what you found!
The most important part of the Adopt-A-Shoreline program is communication. We want to hear from you! Have you seen anything new growing up around your dock? Have you seen a plant with feather-divided leaves around? Let us know!
End of Survey ReportInvasive Plant Paddles (IPPs)
Each summer, 7 Lakes organizes Invasive Plant Paddles (IPPs) with local lake associations on East Pond, North Pond, Salmon Lake, and McGrath Pond. The goal of an IPP is to survey as much shoreline in one day as possible. See our events page to sign up for an IPP near you!
Invasive Plant Removal and Survey
If an invasive aquatic species becomes established in a new habitat, immediate action is required to minimize the spread of the infestation and prevent any harmful effects the invasive species may cause. In Maine, standard remediation methods to control rooted invasive aquatic plants include physically removing vegetation via SCUBA, covering vegetation with submerged weighted barriers (called “benthic barriers”), and herbicide for specific situations.
Our team of certified SCUBA divers are permitted through Maine-DEP and receive extensive training on invasive plant removal to ensure safe and effective results. We are currently managing two invasive aquatic plant species in the watershed:
- Curly-leaf pondweed in North Pond and East Pond
- Variable-leaf milfoil in Great Pond
Since remediation work began in East Pond’s Serpentine, we have seen a decrease of 89% in curly-leaf pondweed biomass from persistent manual removal methods. After applying a one-time herbicide application to the infestation in Great Pond’s Great Meadow Stream, we have seen a decrease of 99% in variable-leaf milfoil biomass. Our crew checks each infestation on a weekly basis from May – October.
All of our remediation work is shared with Maine-DEP and is available for the public’s view at the link below.
Invasive Control Projects