DERBY – Salem Lake in Derby has a clean bill of health once
again; nothing has gotten past the watchful eye of the lake
monitors, patrollers, and professional diver Shawn Bickford. But
its future remains uncertain because of all the risks in
surrounding areas. Several lakes in Vermont are contaminated
with invasive species, including Lake Memphremagog and Lake
Champlain. Every year the state requires a final report and a
projected budget from the Salem Lakes Association on the health
of the lake. Salem does not have any invasive species of the
plant or animal kind, a bit of a rarity in the state. Andy
Major, president of the association, knocks on wood for the good
fortune, and has his fingers crossed that the preventative
program in place, which includes an educational piece, will
continue the success. Once invasive, non-native species such as
Eurasian water milfoil take root in a lake, they swiftly take
over and are about impossible to eliminate. They choke out
native species, make it impossible for most fi