Watershed Roundup

June 2024 Newsletter from the 30 Mile River Watershed Association

Photo: Spectral Wings by Grant Regan-Loomis, 2023 Photo Contest, Lovable Loons 1st Place Winner

15th Annual Paddle Trek

Our 15th Annual Paddle Trek will be held on Saturday, July 27th!

Join us for all or just a part of this 15-mile paddle from Mt. Vernon Village to Wayne Village, traveling along many of the lakes and streams that form the “30 Mile River.”

To choose your route and see different points along the way, check out the interactive map on our website.

Registration closes on Thursday, July 25th at 11:59PM.

We cannot accommodate same-day registration.

2024 Paddle Trek T-Shirt

Order a 2024 Paddle Trek T-shirt for pick up at the event. Deadline to order is Tuesday, July 9th at 11:59PM. Learn more here or place your order when you register.

Cost: $19 (tax included)

If you have already registered for the Paddle Trek, but want to order a t-shirt, click here.

Upcoming volunteer training

Invasive Plant Patroller Training, Saturday, June 29th

Led by Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM) and co-hosted by 30 Mile and Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed (FOCW), this free Aquatic Invasive Plant Paddle will be held on Saturday, June 29th. You will learn the basics of plant I.D. in the field and meet other volunteers in the area, all while exploring the great plant diversity in Little Cobbossee Lake.

When: Saturday, June 29, 9 AM-12 PM

Where: Little Cobbosseee Lake, behind FOCW offices at 2518 US Route 202 in Winthrop

Courtesy Boat Inspector Training, Saturday, July 6th

Have you been interested in doing your part to protect the lake, but not sure how? Here’s your chance! Join our upcoming workshop and learn how to be a Courtesy Boat Inspector (CBI). CBIs are our first line of defense, protecting our lakes and ponds from invasives. Meet other volunteers throughout the watershed, learn about the threats of aquatic invasive species (AIS), the importance of CBI’s, how to properly inspect a boat for AIS, and more!

Saturday, July 6th from (10AM - 12PM): Starling Hall, Fayette

To sign up, click here.

View All Upcoming Workshops

Androscoggin Lake milfoil removal underway for 4th season

Since late May, our Invasive Plant Patrol (IPP) summer staff have been surveying Androscoggin Lake’s Inner Cove for variable leaf milfoil (VLM). All 14 plants found to date have been in areas where we’ve seen plants in previous years. The team typically surveys Wednesday - Saturday for 4 hours each day. We have had one removal session by a SCUBA diver so far.

Earlier this Spring we worked with Maine DEP to successfully expand the Surface Use Restriction (SUR) area for 2024. The new SUR will cover all areas where plants have been found since we began surveying in 2021. This expansion will help reduce the risk of motorboats coming in contact with and fragmenting milfoil plants, which can easily cause the plants to spread into new locations. Check out our new webpage for more on this project.

Photo: The SUR area has been expanded for 2024 to include all areas where plants have been located in previous years and is marked by large white buoys.

Tilton Pond Swollen Bladderwort update

Since finding Swollen bladderwort (U. inflata) in Tilton Pond last August, we are now beginning our first full season of monitoring and managing this newly listed invasive aquatic plant. Swollen bladderwort plants have been in full bloom for the last 4 weeks, but after our last visit on June 19th, many flowers and floats are showing signs of decay. 30 Mile and the Maine DEP have worked with Tilton Pond property owners, providing training so that they are able to remove the plant carefully by hand, under certain conditions, through a Permit by Rule (PBR) held by 30 Mile. In early June, Maine DEP and 30 Mile staff placed a fragment net across the pond’s outlet to catch any swollen bladderwort fragments heading downstream. The main goals for 30 Mile’s management of this infestation in 2024 are to prevent the plant from spreading downstream into David Pond and learning as much as we can about the plant's tendencies, such as growth, flowering, life cycle, etc. This season, Maine DEP staff are testing other swollen bladderwort management and control methods on Little Ossipee Lake in Southern Maine, where the plant has been found in an isolated area. Including Tilton Pond, five lakes and ponds in the State are known to be infested with swollen bladderwort.

Photo: Swollen bladderwort, an invasive aquatic plant, is now widespread throughout Tilton Pond. When it is flowering, as it was this June in Tilton (above), it is very distinctive with its wagon-wheel floats and yellow flowers. Photo credit: Bob Capers.

Question of the Month:

How do I keep geese off my shorefront?

Canada geese are a familiar sight here in Maine - often seen in parks, farm fields, and large open areas of lawn, typically near freshwater wetlands, lakes, and ponds. Geese provide important dispersal of seeds to help vegetation grow in new areas, once seeds are digested and excreted by the animal.

Canada geese form life-long pair bonds with their mates. Most Canada geese return to the same breeding area year after year and nest the earliest of any waterfowl.

Evolutionarily, geese are tundra nesters and prefer to nest and congregate adjacent to open water on large areas of low-growing vegetation that provide food for grazing, water access, room to take-off and land, and an unobstructed line of sight so they can easily scan for predators. One of the easiest and effective long-term solutions for eliminating geese problems on a lakefront property is using vegetation to take advantage of a goose's fear of confinement:

Create a barrier with native plants: Areas of low-growing vegetation (like lawns) close to the water are prime real estate for geese. Maintaining a stand of native vegetation on your shorefront that is at least waist high (the taller, the better!) is not only good for water quality and shoreline stability, but also keeps geese,and all their waste, off your shorefront. Most geese will molt during the summer months and cannot fly. During this time, they will not stay at any location where they cannot see or easily access the water on foot. Maintaining tall vegetation along the shoreline encourages geese to relocate.
Take the scenic route to the water: Winding footpaths between your home or camp and your waterfront will prevent geese from having a direct line of sight through vegetated areas, yet still provide shoreline access for humans
Do not remove aquatic vegetation: Because geese often gain access to grazing areas by walking onshore from the water, aquatic plants growing adjacent to the shoreline can create an additional physical and visual barrier. Native aquatic vegetation at least three feet wide and composed of tall plants, such as bulrush (Scirpus spp.), are most effective.
Discourage geese entering from above: Vegetation barriers along the waterfront prevent access by water, but may not deter flying geese from entering an area. However, geese typically do not land in an area that is less than 30 feet wide. Reverting large lawns to natural space with taller vegetation, or breaking up larger lawns into smaller spaces usings trees and shrubs can deter flying geese from landing in your yard.

Click here for more information.

Photo credit: Ty Smedes, ME IF&W. www.maine.gov

5th Annual Photo Contest

Do you take a lot of photos on the lakes, ponds, and streams that make up the 30 Mile River Watershed?

Share your favorites with us by September 2nd for a chance to win! The categories are: Lovable Loons, Spectacular Scenes, and Watershed Wildlife (includes fish too, but not loons). Learn more and enter here.

Photo: Daybreak, Parker Pond by Karen Kurkjian, 2024 Spectacular Scenes 1st Place Winner

Welcome new Board member Sue Heard

In April, Sue Heard joined 30 Mile’s Board as an at-large member. Since 1984, Sue has been spending summer vacations with her family on Pocasset Lake. In 2016, she and her husband Chris built a year-round home on Pocasset and now enjoy living part-time in Wayne. She loves seeing the lake change with each season and looks forward to skating/skiing in the winter, swimming/boating in the summer, foliage in the fall, the wonder of ice-out, and new life returning each spring. When not in Wayne, Sue and Chris can be found in Nashua, NH, traveling, or spending time with family. Sue graduated Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She currently works as a Sr. Executive and Marketing Director at Burt Process, providing engineered water treatment and reclamation systems to manufacturing companies such as Pfizer and Moderna. Over the years, Sue has volunteered her time serving on her local school board and supporting non-profit organizations that are working to end the global water crisis. She is a member of the Pocasset Lake Association and looks forward to contributing to the great work that 30 Mile is doing to protect the health and welfare of our precious watershed.

Click here to learn more about our Board.

Board kicks off summer season

This month, we held our first in-person Board meeting since last September, with all 17 of our Board members present! Our Board is made up of representatives of our member towns, lake associations, and land trusts, along with three members-at-large. The group meets monthly to inform strategic direction, provide fiscal oversight, bring creative ideas, and make connections. We are grateful to have such a thoughtful, diverse, and committed group of volunteers!

Our 2023 Impact Report is now live on the website!

Click here to read all 30 Mile accomplished in 2023 in support of clean and healthy lakes, ponds, and streams in our watershed.

Building renovations underway

When are we moving into our new space in Mt. Vernon Village? Phase I construction, which includes both floors of the barn, is now underway, and we expect to move our full operation there this fall. During this phase, we will temporarily use the 2nd floor of the barn for our staff, meeting space and water quality lab.

Check out 30 Mile's new store!

30 Mile's online store is your go-to place for cozy gear, camp games, and other unique gifts that feature the lakes and ponds of the 30 Mile River Watershed. Our new store has something special for everyone. All proceeds directly support 30 Mile's work across the watershed.

Shop

Support 30 Mile! Your gift today will make a difference in protecting our lakes from phosphorus pollution, invasive species, and other threats. Find the giving level that works for you.

Donate Today

www.30mileriver.org