Left to right Peter Gabbe, Carolyn Gabbe, Brent Douglass, and Carter Douglass pose at the LakeSmart table during the first ever State of Damariscotta Lake held at Wavus Camp Grounds on Tuesday, Aug. 23. LakeSmart is an education and outreach program that works with lakefront property owners to help manage their property to create a safer environment for the lake. (Alec Welsh photo)
Midcoast Conservancy hosted the first-ever State of Damariscotta Lake conference at Wavus Camp in Jefferson on Tuesday, Aug. 23. The event was held to inform the public about the health of the lake and the steps Midcoast Conservancy is taking to protect it.
For the event, Damariscotta Lake Watershed Manager Patricia Nease gave a presentation to over 100 attendees that focused primarily on cyanobacteria and how it is impacting the lake.
“This has been one of the worst seasons for cyanobacteria in the state of Maine, according to Bangor Daily News,” Nease said.
Nease detailed how humans living around the lake can contribute to the growth of the bacteria, using certain types of fertilizer. “Phosphorus is known to be a contributor to the growth of blue-green algae,” Nease said. “So if you use fertilizer for growing a garden you should grab a bag that has zero phosphorus.”
Nease addressed other threats to the lake like warmer waters and less rain fall that is causing lower water levels.
“We at one time recorded the lake temperature at 80 degrees,” she said. “The higher temperatures cause a lot of water to evaporate off the lake.”
Prior to the presentation guests arrived to refreshments and tables setup to inform them about the specific threats facing the lake and what residents and property owners can do to address those threats.
One approach property owners can take to help maintain a healthy lake is creating a buffer zone between the lakeshore and their property.
A buffer zone can be created by planting native plants between the property and the lake that prevents rain water from eroding the soil and leaking phosphorus into the lake. Midcoast Conservancy Carolyn Gabbe explained how a buffer prevents this.
“With a buffer zone water flows into the ground because the plants slow the water down from rushing into the lake,” Gabbe said. “As the water eventually reaches the lake it doesn’t have phosphorus in it because the ground purifies it.”
Landowners of lake property in Maine that successfully implement mitigation efforts can earn the Lake Smart Award, issued by Maine Lakes. The award allows a resident to place two Lake Smart Award signs on their driveway and waterfront location to show the community their work in protecting Maine lakes. More information about the program can be found on Maine Lakes’ website at lakes.me.
Invasive plants species is another threat to Damariscotta Lake that Midcoast Conservancy works to control. Ellen Kentz is on the Damariscotta Lake Council that operates under Midcoast Conservancy. She explained how Midcoast works with volunteers to fight invasive plants.
“Over the course of two years we will cover the entire shoreline around the lake looking for invasive species and try to remove them,” Kentz said.
Invasive plants are a threat to an environment due to their aggressive nature and a lack of disease that can stunt a population boom, according to maine.gov. As they grow, they reduce resources for native plants.
The Hydrilla is one of the invasive plant species around Damariscotta Lake that Midcoast works to remove. While Midcoast scours the shoreline for plant intruders it is also helpful for visitors to the lake to check boats and other equipment for invasive plants that might have hitched a ride from another lake.
Currently, Midcoast Conservancy is working on their 30 x 30 initiative, an effort to conserve 30,000 acres of land in the Midcoast region by 2030. The 30 x 30 initiative is in coordination with President Joe Biden’s 30 x 30 program intended to conserve 30% of America’s land and waters by 2030.
Biden issued an executive order creating the program in January.
More information about Midcoast Conservancy conservation efforts and events can be found on their website at midcoastconservancy.org.
