Courtesy Boat Inspections
Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) and public outreach are the top priority methods that Maine has to prevent the introduction of invasive aquatic plants.
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Maine Congress of Lakes Association
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Maine Boater Sticker Program
Training for the CBI program is funded through the Maine Boater Sticker program and is coordinated by the Maine Congress of Lakes Association and the Lakes Environmental Association.
More Good News from the Front Lines
Local efforts to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants continue to pay off.
From The Water Column Fall 2005 issue.
By Roberta Hill, Program Director, Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants
Last year, as you recall, three would-be invaders were snagged from out-of-State boats as they prepared to launch into Maine waters. (Please see "Three Strikes: They're Out, Fall 2004 Water Column.) This year, the story of disaster narrowly averted continues . . . the heroes, as before: Maine's growing cadre of Courtesy Boat Inspectors.
The story of the snag at Unity Pond is exemplary of this year's saves . . .
It was to be a big day on Unity Pond. The Waldo County Bass Masters would be converging at the Kanololus landing on Sunday morning for their Father's Day Tournament. Harry Waters, the Courtesy Boat Inspector and boat launch/swimming beach attendant at the landing, and Dr. David Potter, professor of ecology at Unity College, teamed up to provide the necessary coverage. Harry would organize parking, collect launch site fees, and respond to any questions from fishers while Dave would jump in to cover Harry's normal duties as Courtesy Boat Inspector.
Dr. David Potter, volunteer Plant
Patroller and Courtesy Boat
Inspector, pulled an invasive water
chestnut fruit off the trailer of a boat
about to enter Unity Pond. This
year CBI’s also intercepted invasive
plants that were heading into
Sebago Lake and Rangeley Lake.
Dave arrived at the boat landing at 4:30 AM. He conducted his usual lake shore inventory of water level, air and water temperature, human and wildlife activity and then awaited the first boaters of the day. That first boat arrived at 4:55 AM and it was not long before the landing area was teeming with vehicles towing slick- hulled boats and a host of eager anglers. Dave quickly understood the challenge: to inspect each rig with as great a speed as care would allow, while keeping things moving at all times. It proceeded like clockwork. The line of boaters moved efficiently from the line-up and inspection, to launching and parking. At about 6:15 AM Dave was inspecting the last boat.
According to Dave, "I asked each driver, 'May I conduct an inspection of your boat for invasive plants?' or some similar statement. Everyone agreed to inspection. Some commented on the low probability that I might find any plants of any sort. Most conducted their own tasks while ignoring my inspection. Only two of the forty fishers gave any hint of resistance to my efforts. The bass boats, in general, were very clean."
Given the early hour, the spic-and-span nature of the polished rigs and the pressure to keep things moving along swiftly, another inspector might have been tempted to relax his vigilance somewhat. Maine is very fortunate that Dave was not so inclined.
A careful observer by training and nature, Dave noticed during his inspection of the third boat of the morning that bits of debris were caught in the carpet-like fabric on the slider bunks supporting the hull of the boat. After that, he began to crawl on his hands and knees around and under every rig. On one such foray his well-trained eye found its mark. Stuck in the under side of one bunk was the spiny fruit of water chestnut, a notorious floating leaved plant that infests waters of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont, but not yet known to occur in Maine. Dave confiscated the water chestnut fruit, and showed it to the boat owner. Locating no other evidence of invasive plants, he allowed the boat to launch. Then, just to make sure there nothing had been hiding between the boat and the sliders, he inspected the trailer once again.
Not one to pass up a "teachable moment," Dave made an announcement of the snag to tournament entrants. "The fruit was viewed by most of the boaters and was handled and passed around by so many hands that the spiny tips of the four sharp claw-like projections on the fruit were completely worn away. If there were any remaining skeptics in the group, it is likely that even they walked away with a new appreciation for courtesy boat inspections, and would have to acknowledge that the statewide invasive plant patrol program and the boat sticker program serve a very valuable purpose indeed."
And in the eyes of those who love Unity Pond, it was surely Dave who had made the "catch of the day."
Two more instances of invasive plants being removed from out-of-state boats have been recorded this past summer. Each story offers a bit more insight into the nature of the threat, and those who are on the front lines fighting it:
In late July, a fragment of Eurasian water-milfoil was removed from a boat entering Sebago Lake at the Raymond Beach boat launch, by CBI and Raymond Waterways Protective Association Lakes Protection Ranger, Christina Perry. The fragment was found stuck between the boat and the carpeted trailer slide, about midway between the bow and the steering wheel. The boat was from New Jersey, and the boater a B.A.S.S. member, who apparently had visited numerous lakes across New England, criss-crossing state borders in pursuit of his sport. The last waterbody visited (one week before coming to Sebago) was Candlewood Lake in Connecticut, a lake well known to be infested with Eurasian water-milfoil. The boater, very supportive of Maine's efforts and the Courtesy Boat Inspection program, had inspected his gear shortly before it was re-inspected by Christine. He had not noticed the menacing hitchhiker.
In August, Bill Hart was on duty as a Courtesy Boat Inspector at the Town Dock on Rangeley Lake. A boat and trailer entered the dock from Massachusetts. The boat had a milfoil sticker on it. Bill was informed that it was last launched in Lake Shirley in Massachusetts. According to Bill, "The boater was very supportive of the milfoil sticker and the effort to keep milfoil out of Maine lakes." The boater assured Bill that he had cleaned his boat and trailer with a hose before traveling to Rangeley Lake.
As Bill inspected the boat and trailer, he spotted a plant fragment hanging from the trailer. When Bill held the plant up for the visitor to see, he was told that the plant was nothing to worry about, probably just a "grass cutting." Suspecting otherwise, Bill bagged up the specimen for later examination, and proceeded with his inspection. Not finding any additional plant fragments, the boat was allowed to launch. But that was not the end of it. After the boat left the dock, Bill returned to the trailer for one last inspection. He noticed a small bit of green poking out of one of the holes on the underside of the steel trailer. Using care and persistence, Bill gingerly extracted the rig's well-concealed cargo: a healthy-looking stem fragment, about fourteen inches long. Suspecting milfoil, Bill added the fragment to the specimen bag. Bill's suspicions were confirmed later that day by MCIAP. The Massachusetts "grass clippings" were indeed Eurasian water-milfoil.
Three Strikes, They’re Out!
Courtesy Boat Inspectors prevent 3 potential invaders from entering Maine Lakes in 2004.
Roberta Hill, Program Director, Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants
In response to the threat to Maine lakes, ponds and streams posed by invasive aquatic plants, many Maine communities have established "Courtesy Boat Inspection" programs. If you launched a boat into Maine waters this summer, you may have encountered this voluntary public education program in action. Inspectors are trained to examine boats, trailers and other gear for hitchhiking plant fragments, to educate boaters about the invasives threat, and to encourage lake users to adopt the "check-your-boat-every-time-you-float" habit. For those who are keeping score on the success of this initiative--the 2004 inspection season was a banner year in which there were not one, but three confirmed cases of potential invasions being successfully averted by vigilant inspectors. Two of the invaders were bound for Sebago Lake; the third was snagged before entering Great Pond in Belgrade. In all three cases, the fragments intercepted were plants officially listed on Maine's watch list as imminent threats to Maine waters, all capable of taking root once introduced. In each case, the seized plant fragments were sent to the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants where their identities were confirmed.
Portland Water District Courtesy Boat
Inspector instructs a boater at the
Standish boat launch on Sebago Lake.
Strike one:
In July, a sprig of curly leaf pondweed was caught by the wary eyes of Mark Dixon, a paid inspector contracted by the Raymond Waterways Protective Association to greet boaters at the Raymond boat launch on Sebago Lake. The personal watercraft carrying the fragment had last been launched in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut, a lake with known infestations. The owner, though thoroughly cooperative, assured Mr. Dixon that the gear was clean, as it had been recently washed at a high-pressure washing facility. Mindful that there is no substitute for a careful visual inspection, Mr. Dixon conducted a thorough inspection anyway, quickly finding the inconspicuous, yet potentially disastrous, fragment.
Curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) is an invasive aquatic plant, not native to Maine, that once established can form thick surface mats that interfere with recreation. Like all of the invasive aquatic plants on Maine's watch list, curly-leaf also poses serious threats to lake ecosystems and local economies. Native to Europe, curly-leaf was considered the most severe nuisance aquatic plant in the Midwest until Eurasian water milfoil appeared. It was accidentally introduced along with the common carp some time in the mid 1800s, and is now present throughout much of the US. The first rooted infestation of curly-leaf pondweed in Maine was confirmed in West Pond in the town of Parsonsfield in 2004.
Strike two:
The second close call occurred just a week or so later, when several stems of European naiad, again headed into Sebago Lake, were snagged by an inspector hired by the Portland Water District to monitor the Standish boat launch. The boat had a New York registration, but the "waterbody of origin" is unknown.
European naiad (Najas minor), also known as spiny-leaf naiad, can easily reproduce by fragmentation during the growing season. However, unlike most aquatic plants, European naiad is a true annual, relying upon seed production to return the following year. As prolific seed bearers, well-established populations may produce millions of seeds per acre. Once a healthy seed bank is established, European naiad is virtually impossible to eradicate. There are no known occurrences of European naiad in Maine, but this year two infestations were confirmed just across the border in New Hampshire.
Strike three:
On September 3, Lea Ramirez of Waterville was performing her routine duties as Volunteer Courtesy Boat Inspector on Great Pond in Belgrade when a boat from Rhode Island arrived at the launch. The boat did not have the required Lake and River Protection Sticker and Ms. Ramirez was quick to find a tangled mass of dried plant material dangling from the boat trailer. The visiting anglers, who generally fish in Chapman Pond, Rhode Island, had never heard of milfoil or invasive plants, and when asked if there were lots of weeds in Chapman Pond, answered "yes, that's why we fish there!" Ms. Ramirez removed all visible plant material and the boaters, now seemingly more concerned, cooperatively headed off to purchase a sticker. That was the last Ramirez saw of them. Ramirez bagged the plants and, following standard procedure, brought them into the CBI program coordinators at the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance.
This fragment of Eurasian Milfoil
was removed from a
boat entering Great Pond
by Lea Ramirez, a volunteer CBI.
Mike Little, Director of BRCA, though somewhat startled to see it, was quite sure he knew what they had. He sent samples to the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants, where his suspicions were confirmed: the plants Ms. Ramirez had snagged were definitely Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), widely considered to be the most aggressive member of the invasive milfoils. There are three milfoil species on Maine's watch list. Only one, variable leaf milfoil, is known to be established in Maine waters. Maine is currently the only state in the continental US with no known occurrence of Eurasian water milfoil.
Testimony to the indestructible nature of this particular invader, the dried, completely dead-looking plant fragments removed from the Rhode Island boat were placed in water just to see if there was any chance that they were still viable. The test was first conducted at BLCA, and then repeated at MCIAP. In both experiments, once back in water, the plants quickly rebounded, and in a few days time were "looking quite green and perky."
Congratulations are in order all around on this "winning season" for the State of Maine. There can be absolutely no question that the CBI program is working! With over 6000 lakes and ponds and thousands of miles of stream habitat, local groups and concerned volunteers play a very important role in the effort to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants in Maine. The Courtesy Boat Inspection program is coordinated by Lakes Environmental Association and Maine Congress of Lakes Association.
A "sister" initiative to the CBI program, creating a second line of defense against the threat of invasive aquatic plants, is the "Invasive Plant Patrol." To date over 1200 volunteers have been trained by the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants to survey Maine waters for the presence of invasive aquatic plants. The earlier an infestation is detected, the greater the hope for eradication. Almost all known infestations in Maine were first detected by alert and informed citizens. The Courtesy Boat Inspection program and the Invasive Plant Patrol program are both made possible with support from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and boater participation in the Maine Lake and River Protection Sticker program.
Maine is winning the battle against aquatic invaders, one Courtesy Boat Inspection, one Invasive Plant Patrol at a time! For more information on how you can get involved in this important effort please contact the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants at 207-783-7733 or mciap@mainevlmp.org.
This article originally appeared in the Water Column a publication of the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program. Online at www.MaineVolunteerLakeMonitors.org.
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program
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