With constant help from local residents, the Lakes Environmental Association continues to strive for long-term lake and ecosystem protection. Each year, volunteers offer their time, equipment and knowledge to assist with our water-testing program, educational programs, park and preserve maintenance and everyday tasks at the office.

On Wednesday, May 22 at 12 pm, LEA would like to celebrate the hard work and dedication of LEA’s many volunteers with a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Current and past LEA volunteers along with residents interested in becoming volunteers are all invited to attend this delicious luncheon at LEA headquarters at 230 Main Street in Bridgton. This event will give LEA volunteers an opportunity to meet and make connections with each other.  An overview of all LEA programs will also be given for any new people interested in dedicating their spare time to improve our community and the environment.

With help from hundreds of devoted volunteers and families, LEA continues to protect the waters and watersheds of Western Maine.  If you’re a long-time volunteer or may be interested in helping out, please register by emailing jenny@leamaine.org or calling (207) 647-8580.

It was a pretty bad year all around for the lakes and ponds of our area.  Nearly 80% of the waterbodies LEA tests had below average water clarity.   Almost 75% of the lakes sampled had above average algae concentrations as measured by chlorophyll readings.  The nutrient phosphorus, which is the controlling factor for algae populations, was also higher than the long-term average on 70% of the lakes we test.  In fact, many of our lakes had unusually high phosphorus readings this past summer.  Clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll are the three parameters that tell the most about water quality conditions in a lake and they are often used together to assess the overall health of the ecosystem.  In 2012, 54% of the lakes we test had worse conditions for all three of these parameters.  None of the lakes we test had better than average conditions for these three criteria.  The immediate cause of these universally poor conditions was likely the unusual weather conditions.  Through March and most of April, fire danger was very high as we experienced drought conditions. This is normally the time of year when lakes and groundwater recharge.  This caused early season Secchi disk readings to be abnormally clear but that all came to an end with a very rainy June punctuated with two mega-storms.  The saturated soils that these storms hit had no room for extra water and severe flooding and erosion ensued.  The sediment that entered the lakes immediately began reducing clarity and the attached nutrients began feeding algae, which further clouded our waters. However, blaming the weather alone for the poor water quality conditions of 2012 would miss some of the bigger picture.  Almost all the severe erosion that occurred was from developed areas.  If we want to protect our lakes and ponds, we must begin to upgrade our stormwater infrastructure to withstand the larger and more frequent rain events that are now becoming the norm. 

To find out the most recent water quality information about your lake please download LEA's 2012 Water Testing Report.

May

Amphibians & Reptiles: Gartersnakes and most other snakes have come out of hibernation. Gartersnakes soon begin

Painted turtle basking in the sun.

 courting and mating along with Northern watersnakes, Eastern ribbonsnakes and smooth greensnakes. Listen for male leopard frogs, pickerel frogs, and gray tree frogs calling and breeding. Spotted turtles are both breeding and laying eggs, where as snapping turtles have already mated, and are now leaving their ponds in order to lay their eggs. Painted turtles are ahead of the game and their eggs were already laid and are now hatching.

Birds: The warbler migration continues on as many birds are busy building nests. Continue watching for warblers, scarlet tanagers, Baltimore orioles, ovenbirds, white-throated sparrows, indigo buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks, hermit and wood thrushes, eastern towhees, 

Palm warbler a returning migrant.

and great crested and olive-sided flycatchers as they return. Watch for dark-eyed juncos building nests of dried grass and deer hair while wood thrushes build nests 10ft off the ground, made of leaves, mosses, grass, mud, and small roots. Listen for the high pitch chatter of ruby-throated hummingbirds zipping by in searching for nectar, or the loud “Weep!”of the great-crested flycatcher perching on high limbs. American bitterns are calling, breeding and laying eggs, while great blue herons build their nests in colonies high above their wetland habitats. American kestrels, red-winged blackbirds, white and red-breasted nuthatches, Baltimore orioles, common loons, belted kingfishers, and wild turkeys are also nesting. Canada geese, which nested as soon as the ice and snow melted, are now hatching and heading for the water, as a family.

Mammals: Quietly watch for whitetail deer fawns feebly nursing and exploring close to mom. Many mammals are giving birth in the spring greenery including woodchucks, common muskrats, moose, American beavers, Eastern moles and bobcats. Red fox pups born a month earlier are often times playing and exploring outside of their dens. American black bears weak from living off of their body fat all winter are hungrily foraging for young shoots of trees and shrubs.

Insects & Arachnids: Cabbage butterflies with their dainty white wings, Eastern tiger swallowtails with their brilliant 

Eastern tiger swallowtails are active.

yellow and black, and yellow sulfur butterflies, now join the spring azure butterflies as they flit to and fro looking for nectar. Take a look beneath the surface of vernal pools for tiny fairy shrimp carrying their eggs. Gypsy moth caterpillars are beginning to feed as the rest of the defoliating insects are hatching. Get ready to be itchy for the black flies have arrived and the deer flies are laying their eggs. The crane fly, which looks like a giant mosquito has hatched. Don’t swat at these flies for they drink nectar, not blood. Other partially aquatic insects are emerging as winged adults including mayflies and dragonflies. Lady beetles are now out and about in large numbers mating, lying eggs.

Look for the bright green leaves of false hellebore around wetlands.

Plants & Fungus: Deciduous trees are unfurling their buds, and the miniature leaves are slowly growing bigger and bigger. Look toward the ground for the unique hooded flowers of jack-in-the-pulpits. New shoots of invasive Japanese knotweed are sprouting up quickly from last year’s patches. More and more fern fiddleheads uncurl. Lilacs, wild grapes, Virginia creeper, starflowers, highbush cranberry, pin cherry, hawthorn, nannyberry, shadbush, clintonia, cut-leaved toothwort, forget-me-nots, goldthread, blue-eyed grass, marsh marigolds, painted trillium, lady slippers and red osier dogwood are in full bloom. False and true morels are fruiting. Watch for the fluffy white tufts of poplar and aspen trees as they flower.

Weather & Dates: Get ready for the up-coming hot days of summer. Relax for an afternoon and watch the clouds sail on by.

Code Enforcement Officers – The First Line of Defense for Lake Protection

by Peter Lowell

Most towns in Maine, except for those with tiny populations, have a Code Enforcement Officer.  Depending on the complexity of the town’s ordinances, the CEO can administer building codes, electrical codes, the so-called plumbing code, land use ordinances and assorted other local standards.  They also have the authority to assist the DEP in enforcing the Natural Resources Protection Act – a key state law for lakes, streams, wetlands and vernal pools.

Code officers are the most important line of defense for the protection of Maine’s lakes through their role in administering local shoreland zoning ordinances.  Land uses along lake and stream shorelines and around certain wetlands are regulated by this ordinance which was promulgated by the Maine Legislature in 1971.  If you are building, cutting vegetation or moving soil in these areas, you are in its jurisdiction and must abide by certain standards.

The Shoreland Zoning Law has saved Maine’s lakes from the ravages of the uncontrolled development that would have occurred over the decades it has been in force.  And, as a former code officer for the Towns of Bridgton and Sweden, I can testify to the crucial role that CEO’s play every day in protecting our natural resources, the economic base of Maine towns and the source of our quality of life.

When Renee Carter was appointed the new Naples CEO late in 2012, an interesting   coincidence occurred.  All three of the code officers responsible for protecting Long Lake and many other lakes in their individual towns now had deep roots in Harrison.  LEA wanted to highlight these three individuals as a way to recognize their work and the role of CEOs in all Maine towns.

Renee Carter, the new Naples CEO, started working in Harrison in 1985 as deputy clerk.  She became Harrison’s CEO in 1989 when the position first started because the town needed a way to enforce shoreland zoning.  She left to work in Gray and then Windham before returning to the lakes region.  Renee is passionate about shoreland zoning and lake protection.  She told LEA that she even “had to teach her mother in law why importing sand onto her beach was harmful and illegal.” She enjoys educating the public and believes that is her main job.  With years of experience and dedication, Naples is indeed fortunate to have her on staff. “Naples is a beautiful, scenic town and I would like to see it stay that way”, Renee commented to LEA staff.

John Wentworth has been Harrison’s CEO for the past 6 years.  Before that he was the manager for the Field of Dreams complex in Harrison for 10 years.  He is a certified Maine Assessor and does assessing two days a week for Harrison.  His job is a mix of different roles and he says he finds himself switching gears every time he answers the phone.  John says, “99% of people are pleasant and everyone wants to do it the right way, sometimes they just don’t know what that is.”  He observed that “a lot of lake front property owners are LEA members because they care.  Lake property is an investment and people want to protect their investment by making sure water quality doesn’t decline.”  John has worked extensively with LEA’s Colin Holme and sees LEA as a “unique asset”.  He himself is an asset for Harrison and its lakes.

Robbie Baker completes the CEO tour of Long Lake.  He is the third of the group to have served as Harrison’s CEO before coming to Bridgton’s staff seven years ago.  Robbie was a bricklayer before he began as a CEO 17 years ago.  Robbie observes that “some people complain about how the regulations seem to be creeping up on the land.  People come in the office hollering and mad but they usually apologize the next day, if not within the hour.”  But Robbie feels that “most people understand the need for Shoreland Zoning.  Science has shown that the larger the buffer the less impact on the lake.”  Bridgton, as the largest urban center on the lake, has seen some complex zoning issues.  The town benefits from Robbie’s background in construction and his experience.

Who is your CEO?

Other CEO’s serving the lakes region are Bill Haynes in Waterford, Eric Gulbrandsen in Sweden, Michael Lee in Denmark, Brandon Woolley in Sebago, Donald Murphy in Casco, Chris Hanson in Raymond, Heather McNally in Windham, and Dan Hill in Standish.

If it were not for the good work of the region’s CEO’s, shoreland zoning would be ineffective.  Remember that they all want to work to protect the resources we all value.  They welcome calls for information and assistance at their town offices.  As John Wentworth reminded us, “It’s cheaper to do it the right way the first time.”  It’s also a lot better for water quality.

Thursday December 27 at 10:00 a.m.

 

Get out and moving with your family this winter vacation!  Join LEA naturalist Sarah Morrison and explore Holt Pond on snowshoes looking for signs of animals in the snow.  Winter is the best time to look for signs of animals and the tracks of everything from moose to bobcat to river otter have been seen on the Holt Pond Preserve.  Snowshoes are provided if needed.  The walk will last approximately 1.5 hours and will cover easy to moderate terrain.  Come dressed appropriately for the weather with winter boots.  Please meet at the LEA office at 10:00 AM.  For more information contact Sarah Frankel at 647-8580 or email sarah@leamaine.org.

The Crooked River originates at the southern end of Songo Pond in Bethel and meanders southward for approximately 38 miles to its junction with the Songo River near the State Park in Naples, Maine. The two rivers then wind two more miles to their outlet in the northernmost part of Sebago Lake.

Fishing

The Crooked River is a good bet for quality landlocked salmon in a riverine setting, but be prepared to have some fishless days. The Crooked is nearly 60 miles long and the salmon can quickly disperse in this large river system, which can make for some spotty fishing. On the other hand, there's an opportunity to catch some large salmon in the river as well as native brook trout. The Crooked provides virtually all of the spawning habitat for wild landlocked salmon in Sebago Lake. Each spring, smelts run into the lower section of this river and fishing activity is brisk from the Route 302 bridge down to the lake.

Water quality: Stable

The Crooked River is monitored by the Portland Water District on a quarterly basis from the Sebago Lake State Park in Naples to a bridge on Rt. 35 in Albany. The total phosphorus levels for 2010 remained in line with expectations with no readings above the action level of 35 ppb. Overall, the Crooked River appears to have generally stable water quality. While no samples taken in 2010 were above the action limit, continued monitoring of the river is necessary. The Crooked River contributes more surface inflow to Sebago Lake than any other tributary and a reduction in water quality in the Crooked River could reduce water quality in the lake. Crooked River Monitoring Results for 2010.

Crooked River Watershed Survey

This water­shed sur­vey began in the spring of 2011 and fin­ished March 2012.  Like many of the sur­veys that LEA has par­tic­i­pated in, this project involved iden­ti­fy­ing and doc­u­ment­ing ero­sion sites within the water­shed.  How­ever, unlike past sur­veys, a ripar­ian (shore­line) cor­ri­dor sur­vey was also under­taken because of the impor­tance this area plays in pro­tect­ing the Crooked River’s high value land-locked salmon and brook trout fish­eries.   More than a dozen orga­ni­za­tions part­nered together to com­plete a sur­vey of the water­shed which stretches from south­ern Bethel in the north to Naples in the South.  From the land-based sur­vey, 164 sites were iden­ti­fied as prob­lems.   The ripar­ian sur­vey iden­ti­fied 20 prob­lem sites.  To read more about this project please check out the full Crooked River Survey Report and the Crooked River Riparian Cooridor Survey.

Fishing

The lake contains natural populations of land-locked salmon (Salmo salar sebago) and smelt because when the last major glaciers retreated, the entire watershed was under seawater, and populations of these marine animals became established as the land rose and seawaters retreated. Sebago Lake also holds a legendary place in Maine fishing lore as the home of the onetime world record (and still state-record) landlocked salmon — a 22.5-pounder caught Sept. 12, 1907, by Edward Blakeley of Darien, Conn. Another memorable Sebago salmon was caught by Jack Sharkey, a former heavyweight boxing champion who landed a 28-inch fish that weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces on April 21, 1948. A more recent lunker was recorded on July 25, 1999, when Roger W. Kolterman hooked a salmon that weighed 8.84 pounds and was 27 inches long. Recently, however, some of the biggest fish to come out of Sebago have been Northern pike, where were introduced illegally and first documented in the lake in 2003. Northern pike were put into a number of Maine waters, fisheries biologists believe, by people trying to improve the fishing without regard to the serious consequences for native fish populations. A 17½-pound, 41-inch pike that was caught on Sebago March 16, 2010, had a 13-inch salmon in its stomach. Other game fish found in Sebago lake include lake trout, brook trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass.

Water quality: Good

Sebago Lake is the primary water supply for the Portland Water District (PWD), which serves the Greater Portland region and about 15 percent of Maine's population. It’s a fundamental fact of life that water flows down hill. That’s why PWD and LEA have a strong working partnership and share the same big goal — protecting the Sebago Lake watershed, which stretches for 361 square miles, including 71 square miles of lakes, ponds and rivers. “We’re at the bottom of the hill,” said Paul Hunt, PWD environmental manager.  “And LEA is at the top of the hill. So our feeling is that every drop of water that LEA protects benefits us." The average clarity for all Maine lakes monitored in 2010 was 5.6 meters, according to PWD. In 2010, the average clarity of Sebago Lake was 9.7m in Lower Bay, and in 2011 it was 10.1m, making Sebago Lake one of the clearest lakes in Maine, PWD reported in its State of the Lake 2012 Report.

Members of LEA's Milfoil Crew work on the Songo River.

2012 update

Fishing

The Songo River is a thoroughfare for fish as well as boats. So the list of fish in the Songo includes all fish that frequent Brandy Pond, Long Lake and Sebago Lake, even though they may not be resident year-round. Smallmouth and largemouth bass provide the most significant fisheries. Brook trout are stocked in the river. Large numbers of white perch are present in Brandy Pond, but due to their abundance, they are generally small in size and not attractive to many anglers. They also compete with most other species for both food and space which tends to limit the potential of other species, particularly salmon, trout, and smelt.