MONMOUTH, Maine — Ryan Eldridge knows a thing or two about beautiful lakes.
He’s a lifelong Cobbosseecontee Lake visitor and he builds lakeside camps for a living for the Kennebec Cabin Company, the subject of the show “Maine Cabin Masters” on the recently launched Magnolia Network.
Eldridge also knows his beloved lake is in danger.
Eurasian watermilfoil returned to Cobbossee in August of 2021, the Kennebec Journal reported at the time.
As boating season got underway, NEWS CENTER Maine went out on a boat with Eldridge and Elizabeth Neale from Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed, a non-profit group dedicated to protecting lakes, ponds, and streams that are a part of the Cobbosee Watershed, to talk about efforts to eradicate the plant.
Milfoil is an invasive, weed-like plant species that, when introduced to a waterway in small amounts, can spread rapidly. If allowed to continue growing, milfoil can choke out nearby native plants and entangle the water up to the surface enough to block access to boating, swimming, or fishing.
Neale, her organization, and members of the Cobbosseecontee Lake Association are assembling volunteers to check boats at the sprawling lake's two public launches to make sure boaters don’t spread the milfoil to other waterways or carry more in.
Cobbossee is especially vulnerable to invasive species since it’s so popular and is surrounded by the towns of Monmouth, Litchfield, East Winthrop, West Gardiner, and Manchester.
"This is my favorite place in the world," Eldridge said. "This lake has been everything to me."
Eldridge planned to emcee a "Lake Cobbossee summer kickoff celebration" that Saturday. Aside from celebrating boating season, the event was organized by the lake association to rally support against the milfoil infestation.
Eldridge said he planned to "use all this crazy energy of 'Cabin Masters'" to drum up whatever attendance he could.
Statewide, Lieutenant Jason Luce and his fellow wardens are pushing hard on milfoil prevention.
"Clean your boat, drain the water out of it, and then make sure it’s dry," Luce said.
It is illegal to bring invasive plants or animals from one body of water to another. Boaters can face fines from game wardens if they find a boat or trailer in violation of the law.
In Cobbossee's case, Eldridge said they’re lucky they caught the milfoil's resurgence early, and that the lake is surrounded by people who care enough to do something about it.
"We’re gonna be the standard. We’re gonna beat this, and then people are gonna learn from us," Eldridge said. "So, I’m not excited it’s here, but it couldn’t have picked a better lake with people that love it more; people that have the financial resources and, if they don’t, people that have the love of the lake – have the time."