Variable Watermilfoil (or Variable-leaf Milfoil) is found in five waterbodies in LEA’s service area. LEA hires around 15 Milfoil Control Team members each year who work full time throughout the summer to control these infestations. The waterbodies in our service area that have active infestations are Long Lake, Brandy Pond, Sebago Lake, Sebago Cove, and the Songo River. To learn more about our control efforts check out our Milfoil Progress Report.
Photo: Maine DEP and Go Botany
Per Maine DEP:
Variable watermilfoil is a submerged aquatic plant that has densely packed whorled leaves. It is usually found along the shorelines of lakes and ponds. Watermilfoil can grow in depths of up to 10-12 feet, forming dense mats near the surface of the water. The plant produces a spike-like flower that grows above the water’s surface from mid to late summer. This species of watermilfoil is known to exist in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. It has been identified in a few Maine lakes. Variable watermilfoil grows very rapidly. It reproduces primarily by fragmentation. The plant can break apart very easily due to wave action produced by boats, swimmers, or other animals. The introduction of one single fragment of this plant can result in the infestation of an entire lake. Once introduced into a lake, variable watermilfoil is difficult and sometimes impossible to eradicate. The impacts of an infestation have the potential to be devastating. Dense mats of variable watermilfoil impair boating, fishing, and swimming. Reduced lake water quality is another concern along with the potential decline of shorefront property values.
Here is a quick video on how to tell invasive Variable Watermilfoil apart from native Bladderwort.
