The Maine Department of Environmental Protection plans to dispense an herbicide into Cobbossee Lake on Monday.

The treatment will be used to combat Eurasian water milfoil, which was found in 2018 near the bridge to Island Park. 

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed are working to contain the invasive plant Eurasian water milfoil, which was found last year in Cobbossee Lake. This plant was photographed July 24, 2018.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed are working to contain the invasive plant Eurasian water milfoil, which was found last year in Cobbossee Lake. This plant was photographed July 24, 2018. Photo courtesy of Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed

The fairly new infestation is not well established, John McPhedran, who leads Invasive Aquatic Plants Program for the DEP, told residents recently during a public hearing in Winthrop. 

Because the infestation is new, he said, the herbicide should produce good results, and possibly total eradication.

The herbicide that’s been selected is ProcellaCOR EC. The active ingredient in it is florpyrauxifen-benzyl, which is a synthetic plant hormone, McPhedran said during a phone interview before the public hearing. It makes the plant cells grow larger than normal, so the plant dies.

The treated area will be roughly 4 acres between Island Park and the northern shore of the lake. The lake is 5,516 acres in size.

The discharge of the herbicide is expected to take one day to complete. While restrictions will not be in place for swimming or watercraft use, the DEP advises lakegoers to stay out of the area during treatment.

Also, the DEP advises residents in the area to not use lake water for hydroponic, greenhouse or nursery irrigation without contacting the DEP to confirm the herbicide has dissipated. Residential and non-agricultural irrigation such as that for residential landscape plants and homeowner gardens should not be done for three days after treatment.

 

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milfoil, Winthrop Maine
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