In 2006 the Collins Pond Improvement Association began a project to reduce the infestation of hybrid variable leaf milfoil in Collins Pond. Eradication of this non-native plant has always been the long-term goal but reducing the heaviest infestations had become the most practical annual project. The majority of the cost of our long-term project has been covered by the Maine DEP Plant Control grant program. The remainder of the cost of the project has been supported by donations from our lake association members and several local businesses in addition to the Town of Windham Watershed Protection grant program.

            To eradicate milfoil you must either remove the entire plant including the root ball or smother the plants using benthic mats. We started using the mats in 2006 expanding their use until we collected enough money to build our own DASH boat (Diver Assisted Suction Harvester).  In 2010 we began using our DASH boat with our own trained, volunteer divers and crews. In 2014 we began annually hiring a local private contractor that specialized in removing invasive plants to supplement our own efforts. The cost of maintaining and insuring our own boat along with the gradual aging-out of our volunteer crews made it necessary to retire our own boat in 2022. Since 2010 we have harvested over 178,000 gallons of milfoil plants which have been composted on local farms. We continued to work with the staff at the Maine DEP Invasive Species Program to develop the most effective method to eradicate this invasive plant.

            In 2023 the Maine DEP agreed to develop an herbicide treatment plan in order to get better control over this infestation. Collins Pond was a good candidate for this treatment due to its relatively small size and extensive areas of infestation. It was hoped that one treatment might control the plants but a follow-up treatment in 2024 was always a possibility. The diver survey performed at the end of the summer, 2023, showed that the treatment was very successful but that concentrations of plants still existed. The DEP suggested that one more treatment would be needed in 2024. As in 2023, we partnered with the DEP to send out notices to property abutters, posted notices around the lake where people would access the water and at the central cluster mailbox location.        

            The herbicide treatment was performed on August 14^th by the licensed applicator and was overseen by the DEP staff. The DEP staff also performed water testing at that time and later to determine that the concentration of herbicide was correct on the day of treatment and also when it was no longer detectable. The herbicide chosen by the DEP, ProcellaCOR, was used because of its relative safety. It is fairly specific in its ability to kill the milfoil plants with little harm to most other native plants. There were no concerns about toxicity to fish or other wildlife in or on the lake at the concentration that was used.

            A diver survey was performed on October 30^th and no viable milfoil plants were seen, only rotted stems with no leaves in a few areas. The native plants looked healthy and there were no adverse effects on the fish and other lake wildlife.

            We will plan on a week of DASH work next summer in case there is a regrowth of milfoil in some areas. Prior to the treatment this summer there was very limited regrowth noted except where plants during the post-treatment survey in 2023.

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.

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.

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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.

The link below is for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection web site. Each season we see an increase in algae in our lake that sometime appear similar to balls of cotton candy or just very small, suspended particles. This article reviews the concerns about cyanobacteria (formerly known as blue-green algae). Our Volunteer Lake Monitor, Steve Triggs, periodically measures the clarity of the lake water using a Secchi Disk. As algae concentrations increase, the clarity decreases and the Secchi Disk reading decreases. The article talks about performing a “jar test” to help determine if the algae concentration is of concern. I tried this recently and found the water to be clear, but you might want to try it yourself.

Cyanobacteria, aka blue-green algae, Maine Department of Environmental Protection

Recently we again have seen a large amount of grass floating on the surface of the lake and washing ashore in large clumps. We also saw this several years ago and it is unrelated to the milfoil removal done in early July. You may gather and compost the grass, if it is a problem on your shoreline, the same as you would collect the milfoil that may float ashore.

Recent web-entered water clarity (Secchi) readings for Collins Pond               

Date (Newest first)		Station		Secchi Depth [m]		Remarks		Volunteer
08/03/2022		1		2.60				Steve Triggs
09/20/2021		1		5.40				Steve Triggs
08/04/2021		1		5.15		Bright & Cloudy – Depth at Station 1 = 5.6m		Steve Triggs
07/22/2021		1		4.75				Steve Triggs
09/27/2020		1		2.65				Steve Triggs
08/31/2020		1		2.35		Bright and Sunny		Steve Triggs
08/08/2020		1		4.20		Cloudy skies		Steve Triggs
07/12/2020		1		3.84		Bright, but breezy conditions		Steve Triggs
06/28/2020		1		5.12		1128 – Partly Cloudy		Steve Triggs
06/21/2020		1		5.40				Steve Triggs
09/21/2019		1		5.25				Steve Triggs
08/28/2019		1		4.60				Steve Triggs
08/03/2019		1		4.40		scg entered		Steve Triggs

We will have a DASH boat working on the lake for the next four weeks, June 13th through July 7th. This will be the 9th year that we have hired the crew from New England Milfoil to assist us in our project to control the infestation of hybrid variable leaf Milfoil. This is a non-native invasive plant that will crowd out the native plants and eventually make the lake unusable for swimming, boating and fishing. It is most obvious in the northern end of the lake where the water is shallow, but if you swim in the lower sections of the lake you may notice that your feet will get tangled up in the plants.

While the crew is working we ask you not to approach the boat too closely as a diver will be under the water. They will have a dive flag out as a warning. We do encourage anyone who wants to spend a little time skimming up any plants that get away from crew to come and help, though. You can use a kayak or canoe to pick up plants floating on the surface away from the DASH boat. Put them in a small container or basket and bring them to the DASH boat once the diver is out of the water. The crew will add them to their haul.

Additionally, we have decided to retire our own DASH boat as of this summer due to various reasons so you will not see our volunteer crews on the lake except to help New England Milfoil.

The following is from the Town of Windham’s web site. The Town Council also sent a mailing that arrived in my box today that is addressed to all Town residents. Between the mailing and the various public meetings you should have enough information to make a decision for the referendum vote on June 14, 2022. You can also vote by absentee ballot so make your voice heard.

North Windham Sewer Project Public Meeting

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Please join us to learn more about the June 14, 2022 Referendum vote on the North Windham Sewer Project.

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Join us at a PUBLIC MEETING, on May 19, 2022, at the Windham High School Auditorium, to learn more about the June 14, 2022 Referendum question regarding the North Windham Sewer Project.   

Why is the Town in partnership with the Portland Water District proposing this solution?  Where will the proposed system be installed?  How will wastewater be treated and phosphorus and nitrogen reduced?  What is the project cost and what funding resources has the Town been awarded?

We hope you can join us to learn more.