Science Center Outdoor Activities for Climate Change and Happenings Kids! Lakes Page 5 Page 8 Page 12 LEA Lake News Free A Publication of the Lakes Environmental Association Protecting Maine Lakes Since 1970 Summer 2019 Holistic Monitoring Will Build a Better Understanding of Lakes One of LEA’s most important tasks is to develop For this reason, we are embarking on two new an understanding of water quality conditions in projects to assess a wider spectrum of lake and the 41 lakes and ponds within our service area. pond systems. For years, we have attempted to do this by follow- e rst is high-resolution mapping of surface ing a standard monitoring protocol that involves water quality using a multi-parameter instru- a series of tests at the deepest point in each water ment in a ow-through mode. For this type of body. is methodology is based on the assump- assessment, lake water is pumped through the tion that information gathered from that central instrument, which is mounted on a moving boat, location will be the most representative of condi- while a GPS simultaneously records the location. tions in lake as a whole. Based on the work of others, we prototyped our While this may be true, “deep hole” monitoring own ow-through system in 2018. is year, misses the variability of conditions across lake with the help of local lake associations systems, including nearshore areas - the place Dr. Ben Peierls, MLSC Research Director, ad- where most people experience and enjoy lakes. Continued on Page 3 justing our prototype ow-through monitoring system Green Watersheds Make for Blue Lakes by Alanna Doughty Although we o en take it for granted, the lakes Brewshed Alliance. and ponds of this region are clean, cold, and Maine Audubon’s clear because their watersheds are primarily for- Forestry for Maine ested. ese woodlands help to lter and slow Birds initiative water down, keep soil in place, remove excess also recognizes the nutrients, shade small feeder streams, and pro- many ecological vide habitat for wildlife. Well-managed, work- bene ts of sensible ing forests also supply landowners with income, forest manage- promote and maintain biodiversity, and improve ment. ese part- climate resilience. nerships remind us that, upstream For these reasons, LEA is connecting with large or downstream, we and small landowners, as well as foresters and are all connected loggers, to off er a number of walks, talks and and we all need workshops. In particular, we are interested in as- fresh water. sisting landowners in developing or considering forest management plans that will provide long- is year, we are term, sustainable timber growth and a reliable again focusing source of income. many of our edu- cation programs We share this common goal of protecting water on the connec- quality through land stewardship with the newly tions between our woods and our waters. ese formed Sebago Clean Waters, which is a coali- events will include paddling adventures, wood- tion of land trusts and environmental groups land hikes, and forester meet-and-greets. Also, (of which LEA is a partner), e Sustainable stay tuned for a watershed landowner gathering Inside Forestry Initiative, Project Canopy, and also the in the early fall. 2019 Milfoil Control Plan Page 4 LEA NON - PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE Ursula Duve Page 7 230 Main St. PAID Bridgton ME 04009 Portland, ME (Change service requested) PERMIT NO. 493 Puzzles and Games Page 9 Events Calendar Page 11 LEA by the Numbers Page 14 LEA Priorities Page 15 Welcome Cory! LEA Contacts LEA is excited to announce the arrival of our newest team member - Cory Dunning. Cory grew up in the Lakes Region and has strong ties to both LEA and the community. He took part in LEA’s classroom outreach in the local schools and even volunteered with LEA’s outdoor educa- tion program when he was in high school. Cory’s experience with LEA inspired him to go to the University of Maine to pursue a career in the nat- ural sciences. He graduated in 2012 with a degree LEA Headquarters: in Wildlife Ecology and has had a wide-ranging career working both in labs and out in the eld 230 Main Street across the country from Maine to Alaska. Cory Bridgton ME 04009 will be taking over the Field Services position at 207-647-8580 LEA from Christian Oren, who is leaving for a ca- reer with FEMA. is position is responsible for coordinating the milfoil control project as well as Maine Lake Science Center: reducing nonpoint source pollution (dirty run- 51 Willett Road off ) in LEA’s service area. Cory is eager to bring Bridgton ME 04009 his desire to learn, his bad sense of humor, and his lifelong passion for the natural world to LEA. 207-647-3318 Doing Your Part With LakeSmart www.mainelakes.org by Cory Dunning During heavy rain events and throughout much Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Jean of the spring, a huge in ow of water spills into Preis, who has been through the LakeSmart pro- LEA Staff our lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. is water cess, and ask her perspective on the program. You Colin Holme carries with it soil and sediment particles that may know Jean from her regular column in the Executive Director - [email protected] contain nutrients that feed algae. Because there Bridgton News where she writes on birding (and is little vegetation and groundcover in the spring, life) but she also has a long history with LEA as Jenny O’Connor it can be a particularly good time to study how an active member and past director. She and her Offi ce Manager - [email protected] water ows over your property and an excellent husband Bill own Merry eld Cove on Highland Alanna Doughty season to consider a LakeSmart evaluation. Lake in Bridgton, which has had small cabins for Education Director - [email protected] LakeSmart is a program designed for landowners rent since the 1950s and has been a recreation Mary Jewett who are interested in maintaining or improving hotspot since the 1800s. With an extensive histo- Teacher-Naturalist - [email protected] their lake’s water quality. It is entirely voluntary ry, and much of it predating any shoreland regu- lations, Jean and Bill have taken special care over Cory Dunning and conducted by trained volunteers. ese vol- Field Services - [email protected] unteers walk the property with you and look at the years to help ensure the property does not all the things that can impact water quality. e harm the lake. Preis sees erosion control as the landowner’s responsibility and one that needs process starts with some simple questions to get MLSC Staff you thinking about your land, and then a site vis- to be constantly upheld. As soon as snow melts it is scheduled where everything from driveways each spring, Preis begins assessing the property Dr. Ben Peierls to septic systems are discussed. e nal product for signs of erosion. She prefers to use natural Research Director - [email protected] is a written report that is provided to the land- erosion control methods when possible, o en re- Alyson Smith owner with commendations for lake-friendly lying on vegetation along the shore to slow down Center and Program Manager land use practices and recommendations for ar- stormwater and trap nutrients before they enter [email protected] eas that could use improvement. the lake. Preis explained, “I get out there when it rains with my rubber boots and see where the water goes, and Board of Directors then I let those areas grow back up with vegetation.” Anne Wold - President Roy Lambert - Vice President To push water off their drive- Lydia Landesberg - Secretary way and into nearby woods, Bill Charlie Tarbell - Treasurer and Jean have installed some- Andrew Black • Anne Butter thing called “rubber razors”. Dell Foss • Karen Harding • Frank Howell is is a conservation practice Henry Hudson III • Mark Priola where a exible strip of rub- Dan Richards • Len Rudin ber is sandwiched between two Orrin Shane • Eliot Stanley boards that lay ush with the Lori omae • Justin Ward driveway’s surface. e result Pat Webber • Peter Whitchurch is an easy to clean and main- tain waterbar that you can drive over without feeling like you are hitting a speedbump. Rubber razors along a driveway on the Preis property, pictured here with protective winter guard installed. Continued on Page 3 Lake Trivia! Page 2 is pond is named a er Waterford’s rst settler See page 9 Holistic Monitoring Paddle Battle III ere’s Something Continued from page 1 Saturday July 6 in the Water and a generous grant from Patagonia, we are e third annual Maine Lakes Paddle Battle by Alanna Doughty planning to greatly expand the scope of this will again be held at the stunning Tarry-A- project and acquire this type of data on numer- While Resort on Highland Lake and will take We’ve been hearing about plastic in the ocean for ous waterbodies in our service area. For the rst place on the morning of Saturday July 6th. a while now. O en it is the kind of plastic that time, we will be able to map and visualize condi- oats and gathers in gyres and can entangle sea e race starts in a protected cove on the east tions all over the lake surface and identify chemi- birds, sh, and mammals. What we don’t talk side of the lake and then paddlers skirt up along cal and biological patterns and hotspots. the eastern shore, past picturesque islands and about is the simple disturbing fact that plastic then either turn back for the 2k course or con- does not go away.