LakeSmart is an education and outreach program that rewards lakefront homeowners who manage their land to protect water quality. This program is free, voluntary, and non-regulatory. The WLA has 5 evaluators trained by Maine Lakes who evaluate and submit recommendations to Maine Lakes for approval. Property owners not yet meeting LakeSmart standards will receive recommendations of ways to reduce erosion, create shoreline buffers, and reduce runoff impacts to the lake. John Blake recently renewed his LakeSmart award with WLA LakeSmart
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What’s in the water? Native aquatic plants! A dedicated crew of plant paddlers surveyed Watchic on August 24, 25, and September 7. We found 24 different species of native aquatic plants, and no invasive aquatic plants. This is great news for the lake, the more native plants we have, the less room there is for invaders to move in. As always, please remember to clean, drain, and dry your boats and gear after using it in other water bodies.
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What’s in the water? Have you seen these gelatinous blobs in the lake? They’re called freshwater bryozoans, invertebrates that eat by filtering microscopic particles from the water like algae and bacteria. Each blob, or colony, consists of hundreds to thousands of individual animals and attaches to a solid surface under the water. Not many animals eat bryozoans. Snails, some fish, aquatic insects, and raccoons will eat bryozoans, but they are a last-resort food for other animals. Colonies will disintegrate in
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