By Dana Little, July 6, 2010<\/p>\n
What worries me the most when I think about water quality on Taylor Pond?\u00a0 <\/b>Invasive plants have the ability to irreversibly change the nature of our pond.\u00a0 I grew up in Massachusetts where many of the lakes are now infested with invasive plants.\u00a0 I made summertime trips to cousins who lived on a lake in Wisconsin that now is congested with invasives. \u00a0All of the \u201clower 48 states\u201d except Maine have major problems and spend large sums on this problem. \u00a0These plants can clog up the water making swimming unpleasant, tangle in boat motors, and die off, at times in large numbers, using up all the oxygen needed by fish.<\/p>\n
How easily can they enter the lake?<\/b>\u00a0 Less than \u00bd an inch of a plant is all it takes to become established in a lake.\u00a0 People who move their boats from lake to lake are the most common source of transfer.\u00a0 Most invasives first appear near public boat ramps.<\/p>\n
How likely are we to suffer an invasion?<\/b>\u00a0 Consider the facts that invasives currently live in Lake Auburn, the Basin, the Little Androscoggin River, Range Pond, Sebago and Thompson Lake.\u00a0 The invasive plants have gradually progressed from southwestern Maine to the north and they ultimately threaten all lakes in Maine.\u00a0 \u00a0We are in the direct path of this onslaught.<\/p>\n
What can you do to prevent invasion of Taylor Pond?\u00a0 <\/b>\u00a0Never dump aquarium plants or bait fish into our pond.\u00a0 Inspect any boat placed in the water for attached plants especially small pieces that remain attached to the motor or trailer parts.\u00a0 Even small dried fragments have been known to come to life and spread an infestation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Dana Little, July 6, 2010 What worries me the most when I think about water quality on Taylor Pond?\u00a0 Invasive plants have the ability to irreversibly change the nature of our pond.\u00a0 I grew up in Massachusetts where many … Continue reading