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Songo Shows Problems Facing Lakes Communities

January 29, 2012 - Naples-The Songo River in Naples is probably the state’s busiest waterway. It has also been the focus of significant controversy because of its extensive milfoil infestation. The events of the past two years that involve this waterway are illustrative of the complex problems facing Maine’s lake communities.

In early 2011, a bill was submitted to close the Songo Lock to boat traffic and the fireworks started. It was all about restricting access on the corridor that connected Long Lake and Brandy Pond to Sebago Lake. Marina owners were the main adversaries and two chambers of commerce were drawn into what turned out to be a heated confrontation.

Following the initial legislative uproar and the scuttling of the bill, it was decided to formulate a plan that would attempt to deal productively with all of the issues. The energy, time a resources that would be consumed by fighting needed to be diverted to creating solutions. Here is the sequence of events that ensued:

-A community was formed to generate a plan for funding expanded harvesting with the goal of clearing 800 feet of river downstream from the lock. This work was to be conducted by LEA staff in addition to their work upriver and in Brandy Pond. It would provide a plant-free safety zone for boats traveling upstream into the lock.

-The Portland Water District and the Town of Naples offered additional funding and the Lake Region 4H received a grant to construct bottom barriers to augment suction harvester work.

-LEA designed a new barrier made with rebar and the shrink-wrap used for boat winterization. Naples Marina donated 300 feet of wrap and the club helped assemble the barriers.

-Since boat inspections at the lock exceeded 4,000 a year, it was essential to have a strong CBI program there. DEP agreed to continue the increased funding it had provided in 2010 when the call for closing the lock was first made by LEA with support from the selectboards in Bridgton and Harrison.

-Michael Donoghue at Causeway Landing made prime space available for an outreach office for the Naples and Bridgton chambers of commerce and LEA. This created a spirit of cooperation to protect the region’s economic and ecological health.

-Naples Marina and Causeway Marina sponsored a benefit cruise with the Songo River Queen that raised about $2,300 for LEA’s milfoil control efforts.

By the time the LEA crew disbanded in August, the 800-foot safety zone had been cleared as had the upper river and Brandy Pond along with the lower Crooked River. This made possible because of the great work the LEA Milfoil Team had done over the past five years.

The first survey of Brandy Pond and the upper Songo in June 2011 revealed only a few dozen plants. When the team started its work years earlier, there were 3 acres of plants. They did not achieve total eradication, as some plants will re-generate, but we expect the task will be significantly easier next summer.

Although the partnership approach did not work flawlessly, converting everyone’s energy to addressing the problem allowed better than expected success. Diverse agendas were served as were the dual needs for harvesting and prevention.

We are still in the red by about $5,000 for the project and hope support from landowners on brandy Pond and the Songo will makeup the deficit.

The state did not respond to the request by numerous Naples municipal officials and businesses to raise the fee at the lock by $4 to fund plant control.

LEA is optimistic that we can build on the cooperation and progress that characterized 2011 on the river.

Peter Lowell, LEA Lake News, January 2011



Lakes: Brandy Pond
Regions: Sebago


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