Variable-leaf Milfoil, an invasive aquatic plant in Maine lakes, forms thick underwater mats that crowd out native species and lower oxygen, threatening fish and ecosystems. Easily spread by boats, it’s hard to remove once established and was first found in Thompson Lake in the 1980s.
Watermilfoils are rooted, submerged aquatic plants found naturally in lakes and streams.
Milfoil is a threat because it outcompetes native plants, creating dense mats that block sunlight, reduce biodiversity, and deplete water oxygen when they decompose, harming aquatic ecosystems and native species.
In 2005, concerned residents of the Otisfield and Edwards Cove areas began to mitigate milfoil in their section of the lake.
The amount of Milfoil removed from Thompson Lake is equal to the weight of 90 elephants.
Searching for invasive milfoil among native vegetation on the Thompson Lake lakebed.
Gallery of photos related to Milfoil.
