Maine DEP to hold hearing at LES on Naiad herbicide treatment

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting in the Lebanon Elementary School on May 4 at 6:30 p.m. regarding the proposed herbicide treatment of a portion of Northeast Pond.

The treatment is an attempt to control the invasive aquatic plant European naiad, which has gained a foothold in Milton Thee Ponds and flourishes in parts of Northeast Pond and the channel between it and Depot Pond.

The department will file a Notice of Intent with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water Quality Management. The application is for the discharge of aquatic herbicide Reward® (active ingredient diquat dibromide) via subsurface injection through perforated hose from a surface watercraft into a 41-acre area of 685-acre Northeast Pond.

The proposed treatment area is along the northeast shore in Lebanon where dense growth of European naiad was documented in 2015 and 2016.

The treatment will occur in July, exact date to be determined after surveying plant growth, the DEP said in a statement detailing the upcoming public hearing. The treatment will be completed in one day. The treatment goals are to reduce the dense beds of the target plant to 1) prevent spread within Milton Three Ponds/Salmon Falls River and to other waters and 2) enable control of this infestation in future years with nonchemical measures.

The treatment is part of an integrated management program including mechanical removal of lower density growth and mandatory boat inspections and cleaning to prevent further infestation of the plant from other bodies of water. Once the chemical treatment is imminent the department will post these advisories for the 41-acre treatment area:

• drinking water restrictions for 3 days post application -*
• livestock/domestic animal consumption restriction for 1 day post application
• irrigation to turf and landscape ornamentals restriction for 3 days post application
• irrigation to food crops and production ornamentals restriction for 5 days post application.

While there is no swim restriction for diquat dibromide, the IASP will also advise residents not to swim within the treated area on the day of treatment as an added safety measure.

Milton has already authorized funds to battle the Naiad, and Lebanon voters will have a chance to authorize additional funds at May 9 voting.

Both New Hampshire and Maine departments of environmental protection have also helped in the effort as well as the Milton Three Ponds Protective Association.

Last year divers tried to stem the tide of the Naiad threat by pulling plants manually, but the effort hardly made a dent. In fact, the Naiad is now more entrenched in much of Northeast Pond.

Th herbicide will be used in some of the densest infestations at a cost of $12,000, which will cover treating about 7 percent of Northeast Pond, said Vice Commander of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 24 Sean Skillings, who is a central organizer of the local Naiad prevention campaign.

Stopping more naiad a prime concern for boaters

One of the chief ways Naiad gets into the water is on boat hulls. It can also attach itself to fishing lines and gear, anchors and boat trailers, and it's not easily seen.

"One seed could fit on a pinhead," Skillings noted, adding that everything has to be cleaned on a boat, inside and out, to ensure no additional seeds get into Milton Three Ponds.

In personal watercraft, the Naiad can even get sucked into the jet ski outtake and require a pressure washer to dislodge the seeds, which can lie dormant but still alive for two weeks out of water.

"Yeah, it's almost indestructible, like a cockroach," Skillings said.

And for the record, each plant can carry 500,000 seeds.

Skillings is also asking all major boat entry points like Mi-Te-Jo campground, Everetts Cove Marina and Fernald Shore to put up signs provided by New Hampshire and Maine that spell out boaters' responsibility.

The mantra "Clean, Drain, Dry" is front and center on the signs.

As a convenience there will be a wash station at Milton Town Beach where boaters can make sure they're OK to enter the water. Staff will chronicle the hull numbers and that the boat is clean.

Offenders can be subject to up to a $10,000 fine and impounding of the boat.

"This stuff is as destructive as milfoil. I'm volunteering my time, because I don't want my pond polluted," said Skillings, noting that up in Rangeley, Maine, it took a 10-year-effort to get rid of milfoil.

Skillings, a Milton lakefront resident, said the aggressiveness of the Naiad, which is an annual plant, could be compared to mint when it takes over an herb garden.

Another challenge is that the European Naiad can't necessarily be spotted on top of the water, but must be observed below the water line.

Native naiad is not the problem

Spotters have to look down in the water, using polarized sun glasses, to positively identify the plant, which is similar in appearance to the ponds' native naiad, which is beneficial.

Bob Myrick, president of the TPPA, said the European Naiad, however, is different in at least two ways. Its leaves curl on itself rather that lay flat, and its leaves have sawtooth edges while the native Naiad's are smooth.

Spotters have to be careful not to disturb potential European Naiad as just brushing against them can release thousands of seeds into the water.

Myrick will likely be organizing a team of volunteer spotters once again this year that will monitor the Naiad presence.

Lakefront residents' cooperation is crucial

Meanwhile, as part of his informational blitz, Skillings said it is vital to reach out to lakefront owners who may invite visitors to bring their boats for the weekend.

"It's important that they follow the same rules," he said.
Added to the conundrum is that many of those seasonal home owners live in Massachusetts and may not even be aware of the Naiad problem. They have to be brought up to speed quickly upon arrival in a couple of months, Skillings said.

Milton Three Ponds comprises nearly 1,200 acres spread out over three ponds and what's known as the channel, or river, that connects Northeast Pond to Depot Pond.

State environmental agencies in both New Hampshire and Maine are taking the leads in attempting to eradicate the plant, which is usually done in a couple of ways.

The plants can be pulled out by professionals and then sucked out by machines or large tarps can be stretched over them to block out sunlight necessary for their survival. The tarps provide ample space for fish and other aquatic life to escape.

Now with the herbicide option in play, it gives the region an even better chance to tackle the Naiad before it can do irreparable harm.

Residents can email milfoil@maine.gov for exact dates of NOI submission, NOI approval and herbicide application. More information and precautionary notes on human water consumption, water contact, livestock use and irrigation is available from the DEP IASP Coordinator, Maine DEP, State House Station 17, Augusta, ME 04333 (207-215-9863). The NOI will be filed on or about May 15 and will be available for public inspection at DEP's Augusta office during normal business hours. A copy may also be seen at the municipal offices in Lebanon and Acton, Maine and Milton, New Hampshire.