WELCOME TO MAINE LAKES
PROTECTING MAINE'S LAKES & PONDS
We are a non-profit, charitable membership organization, and continue to be the clear voice for protection of our most precious freshwater resources and wildlife habitat. We work to support everyone who values and benefits from clean water and healthy lakes in Maine, including lake residents, lake associations, surrounding communities, vacationers and the next generation of lake stewards.
water and sustainability conference
march 29th
Maine Lakes is a sponsor of the Water and Sustainability Conference, held at the Augusta Civic Center on March 29th. We would love to see you there! Staff will be presenting in several different sessions, including a session on biodiverse yards and a session where we’ll highlight Maine Lake Talk, our Slack communication channel. We’ll share a more detailed schedule of speakers as soon as it is finalized. In the meantime, check out the conference website, and the list of concurrent sessions.
If you are interested in clean water and a sustainable future, this is a great conference to join. Hope to see you there.
LOOK OUT FOR LOONS 2024 VIRTUAL GATHERING
Join a virtual gathering with Maine Lakes “Look Out for Loons” staff and other loon restoration project partners to hear more about what how you can join a growing team of volunteers who are working to decrease disturbance to nesting loons, and increase their success, by sharing information, actions, and advice to lake users and visitors. You’ll learn about what the program has done in the last year, and the many different options for getting involved. You can become a loon expert and help us all “Look Out for Loons”. The event is free but registration is required. Click on the dates below to register.
PFAS in Maine Lakes and Rivers
Tom Danielson, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Thursday, April 11 at 5 p.m.
You have probably read about PFAS in the news lately as it relates to contaminated farmland. Tom Danielson of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection will present information about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals”, in Maine’s lakes and rivers. The event is free, but registration is required. Click here to register Photo by John Holyoke, BDN
Maine's newest aquatic threats
Brett Willard and Christine Guerrette, Lake Stewards of Maine
Thursday, April 18 at 5 p.m
In early 2023, four new plants were added to Maine’s watch list for potentially invasive aquatic plants. Since their addition, three new infestations of one of these new invaders have been discovered in Maine lakes, with likely more to come. In this webinar the Aquatic Invasive Species team at Lake Stewards of Maine will discuss how to identify these four plants and their native lookalikes, how LSM is engaging with lake communities with active infestations. This event is free, but registration is required. Click here to register.
New Evaluator Basics: Lake Science Introduction, How LakeSmart Works, and an Overview of the LakeSmart Property Evaluation
Join Caroline Murray, LakeSmart Coordinator and Andrea Stevens, LakeSmart Manager for a LakeSmart training, May 7 at 4:00pm on Zoom. This is the first of two online training sessions for new LakeSmart Evaluators and current Evaluators who may need a “refresher”. Caroline will present some basics of Lake Science and introduce the LakeSmart process. Andrea will talk about the LakeSmart Property Evaluation, standards for water quality, and a few examples of Best
Management Practices. The event is free but registration is required. Click here to register.
installing and using survey123 for Lakesmart evaluations
Join Becky Schaffner, GIS Coordinator, Maine DEP for this online training May 14 at 5:00pm on Zoom. This is the second of two online training sessions. Becky will bring you up to speed on our electronic data entry system, Survey123. She’ll walk through how to install the program on your mobile device and how to enter and submit Evaluation data into the app. The event is free but registration is required Click here to register.
Maine Lakes is excited to be hosting a second joint conference with our colleagues from Lake Stewards of Maine. We believe we can bring the best experience to our members, supporters, and lake advocates when we join forces with an organization that shares so many of our clean lakes values as well as shared members and supporters. This year’s conference will be on Friday, June 21st at the University of Maine, Farmington. The day will be focused on the many values of Maine’s lakes, including economical, biological, and ecological perspectives. We are especially excited to share that our keynote speakers will be Adam Daignault, Associate Professor of Forest Policy and Economics, and Melissa Genoter, graduating senior, from UMaine Orono who have both worked on a recent project looking at the economic value of Maine’s Great Ponds. Click here to register
KEEPING LAKES HEALTHY: BMP VIDEO SERIES
INSTALLING A RAIN GARDEN
LAKESMART
This free voluntary, non-regulatory program helps lakefront homeowners maintain lake-friendly landscapes that reduce pollution and runoff. Learn how to get LakeSmart active on your lake.
JUMP IN!
Donate or become a member today.
You will join a growing community of people dedicated to keeping Maine’s lakes clean and healthy.
Statement on racism and equality
This is a pivotal time in our culture, when organizations well outside the realm of political and social action must step up and speak to racism. Please read our full Statement on Racism and Equality.
E-Newsletters
Read our 2023 e-newsletters here or check out our newsletter archive for past issues.
Maine Lakes E-News March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
LakeSmart E-News January 2024
November 2023
October 2023
June 2023
March 2023