Information about Milfoil II---the Sequel... Saturday and Sunday, September 18-19, 2004
Eurasian water milfoil is a weed. Native to Europe and Asia, it's now found across the United States. In the 1940's, milfoil was imported for people to use in their aquariums, but it soon found its way into lakes and ponds all over the country. Scientists say it's so pervasive it's destroying native plants. There are ways to control the weed, but Eurasian water milfoil is nearly impossible to distinguish from Northern water milfoil. In ecosystems like Sylvia Lake, its growth is attracted to areas of nutrient-rich sediments. It is an opportunistic species that prefers highly disturbed lake beds and lakes that receive nitrogen and phosphorous-laden runoff, like from lawn fertilizers, etc. Warmer water temperatures promote multiple periods of flowering and fragmentation. |  |
| Sylvia Lake Community responds to the Milfoil Threat Saturday, September 4, 2004 Volunteers from the Sylvia Lake community, along with the Gouverneur Fire Department Dive Team, targeted the Eurasian Milfoil in Sylvia Lake for a four-hour systematic search and destroy. The team worked in areas where the milfoil had taken hold and was very obvious. Divers pulled the weeds and volunteers on the surface used nets to gather stray bits of the plant. Gale Ferguson submitted these photos of the activity. A followup weed wacking took place September 18 - 19.
All of these are necessary to prevent the spread of milfoil. The Sylvia Lake Association is currently working on this issue. Expect to hear more about milfoil in the future. |
 The Gouverneur Fire Department Dive Team near Mansion Grounds |  Joe Lacks, supervises |
 Dave Lockwood |  The Van Slykes |
 A Leonard Team member |  Rick Sibley |
 Abby helps the cause. |  500 pounds (est.) of the evil milfoil weed was gathered. |
 ...and Theo, too. | Team Leonard
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