Otter Lake battling spread of invasive water plant species

Otter Lake battling spread of invasive water plant species

A public meeting was held in Otter Lake on Saturday (May 4) regarding the spread of an invasive species of water plant, Eurasian milfoil. The plant is easily spread and can choke out native species and impede swimming as well as boat traffic. Its decomposition during the winter can lower the oxygen levels in lakes and lead to the decline of fish populations as well. When milfoil is broken into pieces, each can regrow into a new plant, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as the “zombie plant”.

Mayor Terry Lafleur explained that in September they had a biologist conduct an assessment on Lac de la Ferme and Petit Lac Cayamant, which mapped out the locations of the existing patches (maps below)..

Lafleur said that the public boat launch at the western edge of Lac de la Ferme was particularly worrisome, as boat propellers or waves can help spread the plant to new areas.

He said that this summer they would be installing buoys to mark out existing patches and conducting surveys of six more lakes (Hughes, Petit Lac Hughes, Lac à la Loutre, Leslie, McCuaig and Clark) to get a better idea of the weed’s spread in the region. They are looking to other regions, such as nearby Blue Sea, to see what methods are feasible for removing the weed including covering the patches with tarps and using divers to carefully pull them out by the root.

He emphasized the importance of citizens abiding by their municipal bylaw, which requires all vessels (motorized or not) to be washed before they enter any local bodies of water. The municipal boat washing station is free for residents, and also has a free short cycle for people with kayaks or canoes.

The full interview with Lafleur (13m20) is available here.