We’re excited to share that we’ve been selected to benefit from Hannaford’s “Bloomin’ 4 Good Program”. In September, buy a bouquet for yourself or to brighten someone’s day! All donations raised for Collins Pond Improvement Association will go toward our flight against the spread of milfoil within Collins Pond and its watershed.
New England Milfoil performed a diver survey last September, post herbicide treatment. The diver was towed through the water to be able survey for plants at depths not visible from the surface. It is rare that the proper sun angle and calm winds occur at the same time to enable you to see more than a few feet below the surface. Surveying using a swimmer with mask and snorkel is better but still only good for a few feet down. New England Milfoil spent hours crisscrossing the lake and created the attached map using GPS points to indicate areas where they still found milfoil plants after the herbicide treatment last summer. The colored below circles in the map below indicate different concentrations of milfoil. The deeper areas in the center of the lake were less affected by the herbicide.
All the areas circled on the map are where the herbicide applicator will focus when he returns this summer. It is still expected that at least some annual DASH work will be needed in the future, but the herbicide treatment appears to have knocked the infestation down greatly.
Report provided by Rodger Patterson.
Collins Pond Neighbors, we are planning our first “Full Moon” paddle of the year for Friday, May 24th. Meetup in the center of the pond @ 7:00. In all honesty, we have never stayed out long enough to see the moon actually rise over all our surrounding trees, but the get together is fun. Last year the double crested cormorants put on quite an acrobatic show for us on one of the paddles. Headlamps are helpful for safe returns.
For the entire month of March, Collins Pond Improvement Association has been selected by store leadership at Hannaford’s North Windham to receive a $1 donation from every purchase of the $2.50 Community Bag. This is a great way to broaden awareness and help our cause.
The Community Bag Program facilitates community support with the goal of making a difference where shoppers live and work. Over $2.2 million has been donated to more than 6,000 nonprofit organizations since the program launched in October 2015.
Let’s get started! Share the news with friends and family. Call, send emails, and post on social media. The more people who purchase the Community Bag in March, the greater the donation we will receive from Hannaford!
To learn more about this program, please visit hannaford.2givelocal.com.
For all of January every GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag purchased at Shaw’s earns us $1!
We are so excited to share that Collins Pond Improvement Association has been selected to benefit from the Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag Program, which makes it easy for customers to contribute to their local communities.
For the month of January, whenever a $3.00 GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag is purchased at the Shaw’s located at 770 Roosevelt Trail, Windham, $1 will be donated to Collins Pond Improvement Association. This is a great way to broaden awareness and help our cause.
Let’s get started! Share the news with friends and family. Call, send emails and post on social media. The more people who purchase the GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag in January, the more we can raise!
To learn more about this program, please visit shaws.2givelocal.com.
Little Sebago Lake has started the state-mandated annual lake level draw down today. Their lake level has to be slowly drawn down to a winter level that was set by the State of Maine in 1984. To accommodate this extra volume of water, the Collins Pond dam was fully opened today. Our lake level will drop today but may slowly increase as Little Sebago Lake gradually increases the amount their dam is open by the end of this week. If you want to read more about why this is happening you can copy and past this link that will take you to the Little Sebago Lake web page. https://littlesebagolake.com/current-water-level/
Zebra Mussels
Keep Invasive Zebra Mussels OUT of Maine
Adult zebra mussels are ¾-1 ½ inches in length. At the larval stage
(which is most likely to be transported), zebra mussels are microscopic.
Zebra Mussel Infestations in Nearby New Brunswick and Quebec Waters Pose a Threat
Invasive Zebra mussels have been found within the Saint John River drainage in both Quebec and New Brunswick, with the nearest visual confirmations less than 30 miles away from the Maine/Canada border and even closer potential infestations in the Madawaska River.
This places the Saint John River at high risk for infestation and as a potential source for transport on watercraft of zebra mussels into other Maine water bodies. Zebra mussels have not yet been confirmed in any water of the state of Maine but represent a high threat level to the health of our waters, fish, and wildlife. Zebra mussel infestations result in irreversible negative impacts on native species and water body systems and are nearly impossible to eradicate once introduced.
Zebra mussels filter and hold a substantial amount of important food and nutrients that native organisms require, negatively impacting all native fish and wildlife in the water body. In addition to significantly impacting our wildlife, and unlike our native mussels, zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces in the water, including watercraft, pipes (which can clog intake/outflow), rocks, docks, and even native mussels. Zebra mussel larvae are microscopic, making it imperative all outdoor enthusiasts use extreme caution to limit the spread.
Help limit the spread of zebra mussels
Always practice standard clean, drain, dry recommendations and laws for watercraft.
CLEAN off visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud from watercraft, motor, trailer, and equipment before leaving water access.
DRAIN all water from watercraft. Maine law requires that prior to entering a waterbody and when preparing to leave launch facilities, boaters must remove or open any devices designed for routine removal/opening (for example, hull drain plugs, bailers, live wells, ballast tanks) to encourage draining of areas containing water (excluding live bait containers). This must be done in a way that does not allow drained water to enter any inland water of the state.
DRY all equipment and watercraft completely before reuse. While they can be removed, washed off, and drained out with best cleaning and draining practices,allowing watercraft and all gear to dry thoroughly between water bodies is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of these microscopic zebra mussel larvae. This drying should occur for multiple days (2-5 days) when possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are invasive zebra mussels?
Zebra mussels are a freshwater invasive mussel originally from Europe and Russia. Unlike plants or other large aquatic invasive species that are easy to spot by eye, zebra mussels are difficult to detect during watercraft inspections because they are microscopic at the larval stage (which is most likely to be transported) and even in the adult stage only reach ¾-1 ½ inches in length. Their shells are yellow and brown with zig zag stripes; however, the pattern can vary quite a bit.
Do we have zebra mussels in Maine?
There are currently no reports or confirmed infestations of zebra mussels in any waters of the state. Zebra mussels have been spreading through the Great Lakes region after transport in ballast waters on large cargo ships from Europe and eventual spread through connected riverine systems. This has led to continual spread through additional overland transport on watercraft into inland waters and western portions of the United States that has not yet reached the northeast to the same degree.
Will zebra mussels eventually establish populations in all Maine waters?
Zebra mussels require certain water chemistry attributes, like high calcium levels, to establish and thrive in a water body. The Department of Environmental Protection conducted a study on many of Maine’s lakes and found that over 90% of lakes they examined had a very low suitability level for zebra mussels based on water chemistry. In riverine systems, flow rates must be slow enough to allow zebra mussel larvae to eventually attach to hard surfaces, and as a result their spread will be naturally limited in certain extents of our rivers & brooks.
Why are zebra mussels so problematic?
Like our native mussels they are filter feeders, which means that they feed by drawing in water and consuming primarily algae. However, zebra mussels are far more effective at filtering than our native mussels and take in and hold a substantial amount of important food & nutrients that native organisms require. Native zooplankton and small fish that depend on that food and nutrient supply decrease in abundance as a result, and in turn there is a cascading negative effect on all native fish and wildlife within the system due to the decreased availability of prey at each level of the food web. Unlike our native mussels, zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces in the water, including watercraft, pipes (which can clog intake/outflow), rocks, docks, and even native mussels.
As presented at the May 22, 2023, Public Meeting at the Windham High School.
