KENNEBEC JOURNAL • August 8, 2021
Despite previous efforts to eradicate it, the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil plant has once again been found in the northeast quadrant of Cobbossee Lake, aka Cobbosseecontee. The 8.7-square-mile lake reaches Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, West Gardiner and Winthrop. The plant was first discovered in the lake in 2018. It can spread quickly, growing inches per day, and once it overtakes a body of water, the tangle it creates at the surface prevents most swimming or boating. In 2019, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection attempted to wipe out the plant with ProsellaCOR, a selective herbicide that specifically targets certain invasive plant species. The green pest was nevertheless discovered again in late 2020.