By CRAIG FREILICH

NORWOOD – Rep. Bill Owens (D-Plattsburgh) is to meet with village officials and concerned residents Monday to discuss options for attacking the invasion of Eurasian watermilfoil in Norwood Lake.

The potentially destructive species invasion was detected in Norwood Lake by a St. Lawrence University student on a summer fellowship surveying lakes in the area, who discussed with village officials her documentation of the presence of milfoil in 2012.

Norwood mayor and Norwood Lake Association President Jim McFaddin says that Rep. Owens has some experience in dealing with the issue, having worked with Aquatic Invasive Management, LLC of Au Sable Forks on similar effort on Chateaugay Lake.

“I believe the congressman takes this very seriously,” McFaddin said.

McFaddin said that, with his work with the Raquette River Blueway Corridor Group, he has expressed the desire to tackle the problem in Norwood Lake as a model project for other communities with water bodies that are similarly affected.

Eurasian watermilfoil is destructive to native plants by taking up space and blocking sunlight from native species. It can also disrupt the behavior of native aquatic animal species with its density. Its density can also cause problems for boats and things such as municipal water intakes.

It can be spread by boats that pick up some in one water body and, when taken to another water body, deposit it there.

McFaddin estimates that, with the vigor of the invasive plant, property values on Norwood Lake could be reduced by as much as 15 percent if the problem is not adequately addressed.

On this trip to St. Lawrence County, Owens is also to tour Frazer Computing of Canton, a growing software business on Rt. 11 in Canton.