RESOURCES

Maine Won’t Wait (December 2020): A Four-year Plan for Climate Action from the Maine Climate Council and the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. Click HERE for plan updates and more resources. 

Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and Its Effects in Maine (August 2020): This report from the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Maine Climate Council reviews some of the larger influences on water quality in Maine’s freshwater systems related to temperature, dissolved organic carbon, nutrients and stormwater runoff, and trophic changes in lakes and freshwater harmful algal blooms. (Note: A 2024 Update  has additional information on many topics, but the 2020 report is more comprehensive in its coverage of lake  issues). 

Maine’s Climate Future 2020 Update: This update from the University of Maine demonstrates the progression of accelerating change in the climate in Maine and its dramatic effects. The report looks at examples of evidence of these effects in Maine, drawn from the scientific literature and news media accounts of Maine people and their experiences. The report also highlights the importance of investing in science-informed, cost-effective adaptation to accommodate the reality of a changing Maine.

Maine Lakes: Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations: Videos of several interesting presentations by lake scientists and others from the Maine Water and Sustainability Conference in 2021. 

Lakes as Sentinels of Climate Change: Jasmine Soros, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine,  2021 webinar recording from the Maine Lakes Webinar Series. 

Climate Change and Our Lakes: Article by Lakes Environmental Association (Bridgton, Maine). 

Local Climate Trends  : Article by Kezar Lake Watershed Association (Lovell, Maine),

Ice Data in Maine Lakes: An overview of data collected by volunteers at Lake Stewards of Maine on ice-in and ice-out dates that reveal changes in ice cover(StoryMap 11/10/2023), Lake Stewards of Maine.

Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Resources: Website resource from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Climate Change Impacts on Lakes: Website resource from the North American Lake Management Society.  

Climate Adaptation in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Story Map produced by the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, University of Massachusetts. 

Swimming Upstream: Freshwater Fish in a Warming World: A report by the National Wildlife Federation on the impacts from climate change to our freshwater fisheries. 

Get involved

Participate in the LakeSmart Program administered by Maine Lakes to learn about making lakeshore properties more resilient to climate change. You can participate as a homeowner by requesting a LakeSmart evaluation or as a volunteer by signing up for training in the spring and visiting properties on your lake to educate and provide homeowners with recommendations for managing runoff and erosion. Contact Andrea (astevens@lakes.me) for more information.

Become a Lake Advocate by learning about and following the progress of lake bills and making your voice heard by presenting or submitting written testimony to a legislative committee. Sign up for legislative alerts HERE. 

Sign up to Volunteer with the Lake Stewards of Maine to monitor water quality, become an invasive plant patroller, or record ice-in and ice-out dates on your lake.

Become a Courtesy Boat Inspector (CBI) The Maine Department of Environmental Protection with assistance from the Lakes Environmental Association oversee the CBI Program. The purpose of this program is to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive plants to Maine waters by boats, trailers, and associated equipment. Trained Courtesy Boat Inspectors alert boaters to the risks posed by aquatic invasive plants, show boaters how to inspect and remove vegetation from boating and fishing equipment, and urge boaters to inspect prior to launch and after retrieval when venturing into Maine’s waters.

Get involved with your town and the Community Resiliency Partnership, a program of the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future that encourages towns to create climate action plans and can fund those actions, including work to protect lake and shoreline health.

Download and use the bloomWatch app. Developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the bloomWatch app gives smart phone users the opportunity to report suspected algal blooms in real time. The app is easy to use and allows the observer to take pictures and report the location, date, and size of algal blooms.Become a Lake Advocate by learning about and following the progress of lake bills and making your voice heard by presenting or submitting written testimony to a legislative committee.