the Water C lumn The Newsletter of the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program Vol. 21, No. 1 Celebrating the Work of Maine's Certified Citizen Lake Scientists Fall 2016 What’s Inside : President's Message . 2 Lakeside Notes ~ Reminiscing . 3 President’s Enter Secchi Readings on Your Phone or PC . 3 Littorally Speaking ~ IPP Jump-Start on Acadia . 4 Quality Counts ~ Blooming Lakes . 6 Message Grant Funding for Watershed Surveys . 6 Under the Hand Lens ~ Spiny Waterflea . 7 Bill Monagle Mowing Lakes?? . 8. President, VLMP Board of Directors New Advisory Board Member: Roy Bouchard . 8 NSF Grant Supports Lake Vulnerability Study . 9 n the past, my contributions certified lake monitors from several An Evolving Relationship with the VLMP . 9 Ito the Water Column have been of our lakes, was somewhat revealing. IPP Notes from the Front Lines . 10 representative of what a president’s For instance, a couple of our lakes Fostering Citizen Stewardship for Maine's Lakes . 12 message should be, or so I’d like that regularly suffer significant late Welcome, New Lake Monitors! . 13 to think. This year, with most of summer and early fall algae blooms, Thank You to Our Generous Donors! . 14 the southern and central areas of driven to a large extent by internal The 2016 Drought and Its Effects . 16 Maine having experienced severe to loading of phosphorus from bottom 2016 Annual Conference in Review . 18 Meet the 2016 VLMP Interns . 20 extreme drought conditions, I believe sediments, bloomed again this year, The VLMP Model Spreads to Bolivia! . 21 it has made for some interesting but only after a relatively clear stretch. Encouraging Stewardship for the Future . 22 observations on our lakes and ponds. I Other lakes that tend to suffer similar Passings . 24 am channeling my inner lake manager algae blooms, but with the suspected Monofilament Fishing Line Survey . 28 to share some of my thoughts in driving influence being NPS pollution presenting my message. from their respective watersheds, VLMP Staff Scott Williams Executive Director As you all well know, the central experienced unusually good water Roberta Hill Invasive Species Program Director hallmark of the Maine VLMP clarity throughout the summer. And Steve Mortimer Development Director is the collection of credible water finally, several lakes that generally have Jonnie Maloney Program Coordinator quality data by certified volunteer relatively undeveloped watersheds and Christine Guerette Program Assistant typically exhibit very good water clarity Steve Lambert Development Assistant lake monitors, who act as citizen scientists keeping a watchful eye on throughout the summer behaved Board of Directors normally this season. Bill Monagle, President (Winthrop) the health of our lakes. Over time, Mary Jane Dillingham, Vice President (Auburn) VLMP data has been used largely As I mentioned above, I’ve only glossed Sibyl French, Treasurer (Raymond) to assess the current conditions of over the data from this year, but I Susan Breau, Secretary (Portland) Maine’s lakes and ponds, and whether believe the data collected under these Malcolm Burson (Portland) or not, they are remaining stable, unusual circumstances could provide Robert French (Raymond) Paul Hunt (Portland) or are improving or declining. This insight into the degree that watershed- Marsha Letourneau (Kennebunkport) year, Mother Nature has offered us based phosphorus pollution influences Linda Bacon QA/QC Advisor (Maine DEP) a rather unique opportunity. With water clarity in individual lakes, Advisory Board stormwater runoff being greatly thereby guiding strategic support for Aria Amirbahman, PhD Firooza Pavri, PhD reduced due to the severe drought, prescribing appropriate actions for Roy Bouchard, MS Matt Scott, MS lake watersheds, and nonpoint- lake management. Dan Buckley, PhD Peter Vaux, PhD (Chair) source phosphorus pollution (NPS) Holly Ewing, PhD Ken Wagner, PhD My point being that data collected C . Barre Hellquist, PhD Pixie Williams, MS from stormwater runoff, has to by volunteer monitors, I believe, in David Littell, JD Karen Wilson, PhD some extent been removed from the some cases may prove invaluable in Steve Norton, PhD nutrient budget equation, thereby the decision-making process when Cover Photo: Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park, by Jonnie Maloney allowing us to observe the behavior progressing from the lake monitoring of individual lakes with minimal stage to successful lake management. external (watershed) influence. For a broader discussion on how At the Cobbossee Watershed District in the lakes of Maine responded to the south-central Maine where I perform drought conditions this past summer, my day job, a cursory review of Secchi I invite you to check out Scott Editorial Staff disk transparency (SDT) data collected Williams’ article on page 16. Scott Williams Steve Mortimer by the CWD staff, as well as VLMP Roberta Hill Christine Guerette Jonnie Maloney, Layout Steve Lambert Funding for this newsletter is made possible in part by This newsletter is printed on 50% post-consumer grants from the Maine Department of Environmental recycled paper; produced & mailed by Penmor To Contact Us Protection, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Lithographers, Lewiston, Maine . 24 Maple Hill Road, Auburn, Maine 04210 and the Lake and River Protection Sticker Fund; www MaineVLMP. org. (207) 783-7733 vlmp@mainevlmp org. individual donations and corporate underwriting. 2 Lakeside Notes Reminiscing t feels as if only a few years have participating in research projects that have Ipassed since the VLMP went through helped us learn more about Maine’s lakes. the transformation from being a program From day one (1971), the VLMP has been a in state government (Maine DEP) to a grassroots initiative, and so it remains today. nonprofit organization. In 1996, I was My role with this organization has been By Scott Williams asked by a transition committee to consider largely that of a facilitator – simply guiding VLMP Executive Director leading the process, and agreed to do so an inevitable process, thanks to all of you. with some trepidation. I wasn’t confident Whether you see yourselves as volunteer information, and making sure that you that my background in lake science was monitors, citizen scientists, lake stewards, the best fit for nonprofit management. receive recognition for what you have done or all three, the powerful force that has on behalf of our clear, clean lakes. Fortunately, my colleagues and many of driven the growth and effectiveness of the you, have provided invaluable guidance VLMP is your passion and determination, In addition to being the longest-standing and support, and two decades later, I find and the powerful conservation ethic that statewide citizen lake monitoring program myself still here writing this column! defines your work. You inspire all of us to in the nation, Maine’s VLMP is now During the past twenty years, the VLMP support your efforts! an internationally recognized entity, known for its unique partnerships and has grown substantially, in the number All of us here feel privileged to work of certified volunteer lake monitors collaborations that encompass nonprofits, on your behalf. Speaking from personal local, state, regional and national agencies (approaching 1,400), the number of Maine experience, what has so strongly motivated lakes being monitored (about 450), and and organizations and hundreds of lakes. me from day one has been the many If you think this sounds impressive, the scope of the work of the organization, opportunities that I have had to interact which has expanded to include more remember that the VLMP is where it is with you: at workshops, getting to know today thanks to all of you. So, give yourself comprehensive water quality monitoring, and discussing your lakes, helping you work invasive aquatic species screening and a good pat on the back, and keep up the through equipment challenges, finding good work! prevention, lake watershed assessment, and easier and more cost-effective ways to access Enter Secchi Disk Readings Directly from Your Cell Phone or PC! wo years ago, we created a website the reading was taken, and any comments/ readings over time, and displays the image Tto enable VLMP certified lake observations from the lake monitor, whose along with the data for all participating monitors to enter Secchi disk readings photo is included on the lake page, as well. lakes. Historical data for each lake can be and observations on a web page that An automated graphic program tracks the accessed from the lake pages, as well. In is accessible to the general addition to Secchi readings, ice-out dates public. The web page was for your lake can be entered on the website. developed as a preliminary All that it takes to enter a Secchi reading is quality assurance step for a cell phone or PC, and a password. Or, if more comprehensive online preferred, readings can be phoned in to data entry in the future. the VLMP, and we will enter your data. However, the site also allows We are hoping to expand the number of the general public to learn participating monitors and their lakes in about current conditions 2017. You can sign up and activate your in Maine lakes throughout lake page any time by contacting us via the monitoring season. Last email or phone. You will then receive summer, the site averaged your password, and your account will more than 5,000 visits/month! be activated when we receive your first The website shows the Secchi reading next summer. To view the location of all participating NRTLD website and map, please visit lakes on the opening page, www.mainevlmp.org/near-real-time-lake- and there is a separate page for data/, and click on the blue NRTLD banner. each lake, which shows each We look forward to hearing from you! reading entered, the date that 3 Littorally Speaking Invasive Plant Patrol Jump-Start on the Waters of Acadia aquatic plant screening survey and native by Roberta Hill plant inventory on one or more target VLMP Invasive Species Program Director waterbodies; and 2) helping to “jump- start” a locally sustainable citizen-based the other, the lakes of Acadia had been on monitoring program in the region through our short list of possible projects for years.