An invasive aquatic plant, often referred to as the Brittle Naiad (Najas minor, or European Naiad), was removed from Lake Arrowhead by New England Milfoil on Friday, September 4, just 2 weeks after it was first detected. This amazingly quick response was possible through the coordination of citizen scientists, the Lake Stewards of Maine, The York County Invasive Aquatic Species Project (YCIASP), Lake Arrowhead Conservation Council (LACC), the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and New England Milfoil, which specializes in removing invasive aquatic plants. There were so many interlocking pieces to this puzzle and they all came together perfectly.
I had participated in an online Aquatic Species certification course during the first two weeks of July 2020, hosted by the Lake Stewards of Maine (https://www.lakestewardsofmaine.org/) during my COVID-19 isolation. After the certification process, I continued looking carefully at the plants and fragments being washed up in my cove, and on Aug 21, I became aware of something that looked very different and suspicious. I immediately contacted Roberta Hill, at Lake Stewards of Maine and sent her a sample. She confirmed my suspicions that this was a new invasive on Lake Arrowhead. I then located 6 individual plants growing in my cove. After that, the wheels began turning very rapidly. Fellow Citizen Scientists joined Laurie Callahan, of YCIASP, and she began surveying other areas of the lake. The contribution from our LACC DASH team led to the location of an alarmingly large flourishing mat of the invasive plant.
Since the Brittle Naiad becomes even more brittle towards the end of the summer to disperse its seed on detached fragments, it was imperative that we attack the source of the infestation before it had the opportunity to set seed for next years’ growth. New England Milfoil has been involved in removing this plant from Milford Three Ponds since 2015, and so were contracted by DEP to do the removal operation on Lake Arrowhead. Our DASH team learned techniques and tips from them, and will be modifying our suction harvesters to accommodate the removal of this new invader in the future.
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| New England Milfoil removing a Naiad plant on Lake Arrowhead Photo by Dale Schultz |
The Brittle Naiad is an annual plant that can grow to a height of about 4 feet. The tops of the plant spread outwards, forming a thick canopy that stops other vegetation from getting the sunlight they need. In this way it outcompetes other plants and becomes a very aggressive spreader. From a boat, a Brittle Naiad plant may look like billowing fireworks displays or cauliflower florets. Broken off fragments resemble miniature palm trees with very visible serrations along the leaves, which curve strongly downwards. It is so fragile that it fragments at the slightest disturbance of the water when its seeds are mature.
As you can see from my story, citizen scientists can make a huge difference, especially with early detection - it’s very fulfilling and rewarding to catch an invasive species early, and the chances of doing that are increased with more citizen scientists on the ground. It was just by chance that my. course coincided with the time of year when the Brittle Naiad starts
fragmenting, but if you’re monitoring your shoreline regularly, and you’re familiar with what normally washes up on your shore (even if you don’t know exactly what it is), you’ll be alert to something new or unusual turning up. It could help save a lake! I would never have recognized this plant if I had not taken advantage of the free online course offered by the Lake Stewards. If you're interested, consider taking the course, too!
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| Fragment of Brittle Naiad |
If you see something that looks like this plant when you’re out enjoying the lake, please avoid that area, and then let us know, even if you’re not 100% sure. Please contact LACC or me (debbie@mixmox.com) and we will take a look.