Help Control Milfoil

• Learn to Identify It: Besides the information on this web site, a training class is provided each spring. You can sign up now for the Spring 2006 training by sending an email to Lee.Willson@balchlake.org.
   
• Look for it: Whenever you fish or boat, look for milfoil; early detection will help keep it from spreading.

  If you think you found milfoil, contact your association rep or Lee Wilson. Someone will take a sample, have it verified by the state, and then schedule treatment or pulling of the weed. BLIMP has used Maine's office of Plant idendification in Auburn and recommends we use state services to test for milfoil rather than private companies.
   

• Weed Watch: Join the weed-watching committeee where you volunteer for a certain length of shoreline. Contact Marlene Goldman at Marlene.Goldman@balchlake.org or Jean Joyce from Balch Pond Acres. Her contact info will be posted here shortly.
   
• Clean you boat: Check your boat often and remove all plants. You may have picked up milfoil while boating on Balch, or from other lakes.
   
• Haul it out: Volunteer to help during the fall Weed Pull event. It happens after the lake is lowered, late October or maybe November. The date will be posted on the Upcoming Events page when it's decided.
   
• Clean the Nets: Volunteer for 1 day during the summer to help clean the nets at the head of the lake, design to catch milfoil from entering Balch. See the current Net Cleaning Schedule.
   
• Send a Donation: It costs $16-18,000/year to control milfoil; most money is from donations made by concerned property owners. We suggest $25 per camp, but our average donation has been higher - $36! Send a donation to your association rep, or directly to the PO box listed at the bottom of the page. Your money will help pay for divers and treatments.
   
• Dive for it: If you are a certified diver, we can provide you with the training needed to safely pull milfoil. There's a certain technique that's covered in this training course to get the roots and prevent the weed from breaking into pieces. Contact Lee Willson for more information.