Is poor water quality contributing to the milfoil problem?
Excess nutrients entering a lake from septic or fertilizer run-off can encourage plant growth and have been an ongoing concern. However, according to environmental consultant Michael Martin, a Certified Lake Manager who conducted the CLA’s 2002 aquatic plant survey, this is not the main reason for the recent explosion of milfoil. The critical factor is that milfoil spreads by fragmentation, either breaking apart naturally in the fall or being chopped up by boat propellers. Once Eurasian milfoil became established in the Narrows, where it first appeared after the construction of the boat launch in the 1960s, it was carried by boat traffic and currents throughout the lake system. Now, after expanding steadily for many years, it has reached a stage of exponential growth that is a typical pattern for invasive species.
