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MILFOIL CONTROL

Did you know that Milfoil is the single greatest threat to the health of a lake and surrounding community property values?

 

It's true! As is the case with many other lakes in NH, Belleau Lake has milfoil.  Milfoil is a non-native invasive weed that, if left untreated, could overtake our lake.  The BLPOA is dedicated to controlling milfoil by enlisting volunteer certified divers and tenders (supplemented with licensed, professional chemical treatment contractors as permitted by the State of NH) who give up their time to properly unroot milfoil from the lake bottom during the summer months after receiving no-cost, specialized training to prevent causing it to be spread

 

Tell me more!

 

We always post the time, date, locations (and changes to and cancellations) of milfoil sessions to our Facebook Group Page.  If you have questions, please send a message to the milfoil director via email: milfoil@blpoa.com.

 

 

What does Milfoil look like?

 

Two common native weeds, which are prolific and often mistaken for milfoil (or variable milfoil), are bladderwort and elodea (please view all three images of samples below). Reports of possible milfoil sightings are encouraged and gratefully received as accurate reports translate to less time spent seeking it out and investigating mistaken sightings. Take a moment to study the three plants in photos below to help you identify milfoil from other native species. 

 

Note the size of the foliage on the variable milfoil. It is considerably larger than that of the bladderwort and has every single strand emerging directly from the stem while the foliage of bladderwort is much more branched.  You may also be able to see the small bladders on the foliage of the bladderwort.  Elodea is noticeably different from Either milfoil or bladderwort having more leaf-like foliage and smaller still than bladderwort. The size of these weeds can be estimated by using the grid pattern at the bottom of the tub of water in which they are floating – each is about 2 ½” square.  If you find milfoil - or what you suspect to be milfoil - floating in or on the water or laying on the shoreline; please remove and destroy it. Do not allow it to re-enter the water as it can take root and spread and never pull it up from the lake bottom.

Click the arrows on the left & right edges of the photos to see all 3 images. 

Variable Milfoil.jpg

Variable Milfoil.jpg

Variable Milfoil is not a native species and is invasive. Do not pull it out if rooted - instead mark the location with a float anchored to a weight placed or dropped near the base of the plant and report sighting to Lorraine Rosenthal. If it is found floating or drifting, remove it from the water to prevent it from taking root elsewhere.

Bladderwort.jpg

Bladderwort.jpg

Bladderwort is a native species and not cause for alarm.

Elodea.jpg

Elodea.jpg

Elodea is a native species and not cause for alarm.

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