SOMERSET — Aquatic invasive species are spreading rapidly around the Northeast and seriously undermining the quality of lakes, ponds, and rivers for fisher-folk and swimmers.
Indeed, according to the Vermont Water Resource Board, Somerset Reservoir, where the boat ramp is remote and unattended, “is a major problem waiting to happen.”
According to the state, Vermont's fastest-spreading invasive is the Eurasian water milfoil, which forms thick stands of tangled stems underwater and vast mats of vegetation on the water's surface, both of which can limit boating, swimming, and fishing.
The species also can disrupt a water body's ecology by crowding out important native aquatic plants needed for a healthy fishery.
At least 48 other aquatic invasive species, including zebra mussels and water chestnut, are also spreading around Vermont, many by way of trailored motor boats. Experts say it's much easier to prevent the introduction of invasive species than it is to eradicate them once they're established.
To that end Green Mountain Conservancy will host a greeter program at the Somerset boat ramp in order to prevent an accidental invasive species introduction. Volunteers will inspect all boats at the boat ramp Friday through Sunday and carry out surveys to catch any invasives that do arrive while the population is small.
The Somerset is the wildest body of large water in Vermont. For decades it has been a special destination for canoeists, kayakers, and fishermen who seek a quiet, wild place on the water.
With 16 miles of coastline, 12 islands, and numerous tributaries draining diverse wetland complexes, it is a wildlife Mecca with more than 200,000 acres of national forest around it. The swimming and fishing are top-notch, and the views among islands and distant mountains evoke the Down East coast of Maine.
The Vermont Water Resource Board has rules to maintain the Somerset's wild character: no waterskiing, no jet skiing, no wake, and a 10 miles-per-hour speed limit.