Invasive Aquatic Plants/Milfoil
Maine has more than 6,000 lakes and ponds and thousands of miles of stream habitat that are ripe for infestation by invasive aquatic species including plants and animals. Protecting Maine waters is a monumental environmental challenge. Invasive plants and animals are primarily spread from lake to lake by hitchhiking on boats but can also be moved in complex ways. Once a waterbody is infested, the unwanted invasive can demonstrate explosive growth, eliminate native species and change the ecology of an infested waterbody forever. Once well-established, eradication of an invader is extremely difficult, costly and may be impossible.
Prevention is the first line of defense against aquatic invaders. The state partially funds the Courtesy Boat Inspection Program (CBI) to provide a first line of defense. But invasives can elude the safeguards and slip through. Therefore, it is crucial to detect an infestation as quickly as possible before it has an opportunity to cause significant damage or spread to other waterbodies. Early detection provides the best hope of eradication.
The Torsey Pond Association funds both lines of defense on Torsey. The state has identified 35 infected waterbodies; 11 of which are within a 10-mile radius of Torsey. New to the list last year were North Pond and East Pond. There was also some encouraging news. The state applied an herbicide treatment in Great Meadow Stream which enters the north bay of Great Pond. The herbicide treatment appears to have been effective, and there is hope the infestation has been eliminated.
If you would like to make a donation to help the Milfoil Prevention Program and the Courtesy Boat Inspections, please click on the donation button below and select your contribution amount.
Milfoil Investation Prevention
Our Torsey Pond Association CBI Program consists of a combination of state funded and volunteer inspectors. If you are interested to volunteer for a shift, please contact
New On Line Sign Up to be a Courtesy Boat Inspector
Click here to select a day and time to volunteer.
The TPA, with the gracious guidance of the Friends Of Cobbossee Watershed, have started an Invasive Plant Paddle Patrol. If you would like to join our patrol, please contact Darcy Whittemore.
Invasive Aquatic Plants Nearby!
Click on the link below to see the complete Maine State Map of Invasive Aquatic Plants from the Maine.gov website. There are know infestations of Variable Leaf Milfoil, European Frog's Bit and Eurasian Water Milfoil in the following near by water bodies: Annabessacook Lake, Belgrade Stream, Cobbossee Lake, Cobbossee Stream, Great Pond, Messalonskee Lake, Messalonskee Stream, and Pleasant Pond.
Protecting Torsey takes time, money and effort. Maine ranks Torsey as highly vulnerable to an infestation, so it is to all of our benefit to keep invasives out of Torsey. Please help by volunteering your time, making a donation and encouraging friends and relatives visiting you this summer to CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY their boats before launching in Torsey.
On August 1st, 2018, the Lakes Environmental Association and Maine Department of Environmental Protection have identified variable leaf milfoil growing in Long Lake. Long Lake had previously been thought to be safe from this invasive aquatic plant, but substantial growth has been found in Mast Cove in Naples.
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