This comment is by Pat Suozzi of Hinesburg, president of the Vermont Federation of Lakes and Lakes.

With the recent announcement of the discovery of golden clams in Lake Champlainthat brings the total number of known invasives in that lake to 52. This follows the recent announcement this summer that the Eurasian milfoil, also an aquatic invasive, has now been found in Joes Pond — the second inland lake in the last three years to be added to the list of infested water bodies. These were certainly disappointing announcements.

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are biological pollutants. US Fish and Wildlife Service finds that aquatic invasive species are spreading is “harming vital ecosystems and native wildlife and plants and impacting recreation, human, animal and plant health, the economy and infrastructure.”

The most widespread aquatic invasive in Vermont is the Eurasian milfoil. This milfoil can severely damage native aquatic habitats by out-competing native species. Milfoil does not provide the food that native fish and amphibians need to survive and thrive. Once they crowd out native plants, the natural food web is broken and the aquatic ecosystem begins to deteriorate. In addition, milfoil grows so vigorously and thickly that it can form mats on the surface of the water, leading to surface rot and encouraging algae growth.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that we have the tools to slow, if not stop the spread of Eurasian milfoil and reduce or even eradicate existing infestations.

The most important and cost-effective tool available to stop the spread of aquatic invasives is prevention, but there are barriers to effective prevention.

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of Emma Cotton
November 8, 2024, 5:04 p.mNovember 8, 2024, 5:04 p.m

The main effort to prevent aquatic invasive species at the state’s inland lakes and ponds is through welcome programs managed by volunteer lake associations. Greeters inspect and clean boats entering and exiting bodies of water to ensure no invasives are being carried.

However, there are fewer than 40 such programs at public accesses, many of them only partially staffed, but there are several hundred public accesses in the state on more than 800 lakes and ponds.

Why so few programs? And why are too many only part-time? In a word: money. The state provides very little funding (well under $1 million) for aquatic invasive species prevention and control programs. Although invasives are biological pollutants, these programs are not eligible for clean water funds.

As a result, not only the work of managing prevention and control programs, but also the work of raising funds to make this work possible falls to volunteers.

Another problem is that there are hundreds of accesses to lakes and ponds spread across the state, almost all of which are open 24/7, 365 days a year. While additional funding is needed to expand and staff current drop-in programs during peak times, even with exponentially greater funding and hundreds of additional staff, it would be impossible to staff every walk-in all the time.

There are other challenges to prevention, but despite these barriers, we believe prevention is still the best option, but every citizen and visitor who uses Vermont’s public waters will be part of the solution.

Aquatic invasives are caused by human actions, so changing our actions can help solve the problem.

The first step is to be aware that every piece of equipment that touches the water—not just powerboats, but also canoes, kayaks, fishing tackle, life jackets, even children’s toys—has the potential to harbor invasive and to transport them from one body of water to another.

The second step is to always clean, thoroughly drain, and completely dry all aquatic equipment before entering any body of water. You can find much more information about aquatic invasives and how to prevent their spread on our website.

We are incredibly fortunate here in Vermont to have abundant freshwater resources with many clean, invasive and pristine lakes. However, human activities and climate change are putting more and more pressure on these fragile ecosystems. Yes, we need more funding, we need more user education and commitment to lake and pond protection, and we need state authorities to place a high priority on protecting our lakes from aquatic invasives and reducing existing infestations. Our volunteer lake associations remain determined and dedicated to this work, but it takes all of us working together to protect and preserve Vermont’s precious public waters.