Protecting YOUR Lake with YOUR Support

Protecting YOUR Lake with YOUR SupportProtecting YOUR Lake with YOUR SupportProtecting YOUR Lake with YOUR Support

Protecting YOUR Lake with YOUR Support

Protecting YOUR Lake with YOUR SupportProtecting YOUR Lake with YOUR SupportProtecting YOUR Lake with YOUR Support

Lake Meddybemps Association

Lake Meddybemps Association Lake Meddybemps Association Lake Meddybemps Association
Contact Us

Lake Meddybemps Association

Lake Meddybemps Association Lake Meddybemps Association Lake Meddybemps Association
Contact Us

Welcome

The Lake Meddybemps Association was first formed in 1961. In the 1980's with the threats of acid rain, high mercury levels found in fish, the beginning of invasive plant issues in southern Maine lakes and threats of pollution to many lakes, the LMA made our focus lake preservation.

Help Our Cause

Your generous donation will fund our mission to protect Lake Meddybemps.

Pay with PayPal or a debit/credit card

Pay Annual Dues

$16.00
Pay with PayPal or a debit/credit card

 Pay your LMA dues online!

About Us

Our Mission

To Preserve the natural environment of Meddybemps Lake and it's surrounding watershed

How we Accomplish Our Mission

The LMA has instituted several initiatives listed below to accomplish our mission. you can learn more about each initiative in the information provided below. Please consider joining one of the committees that oversees each initiative. The success of our Association is dependent on an active volunteer community.

Initiatives

  1. Water Testing
  2. Invasive Plants
  3. Lake Level monitoring
  4. Annual Cleanup days
  5. Fundraising
  6. Annual Loon Count
  7. Property Owner education on conservation and threats to the lake


It’s almost here!

The date is approaching fast and we’re making preparations. Don’t miss out!

Annual Pancake Breakfast and Auction

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Water Testing

Overview

Phosphorus - Where Does It Come From?

Phosphorus - Where Does It Come From?

Water testing is a major focus of this organization. As citizen scientists we are very interested in how our lake measures up to the scientific definition of a healthy body of water.

A comprehensive testing program began in 1995 in which multiple sites throughout the lake were chosen to take samples from. Some of 23 indicators tested are:

Chlorophyll a

Dissolved Oxygen

Aluminum

Magnesium

Sodium

Nitrate

Sulfate Ion

Ammonium

Total Suspended Solids

and more


This level of comprehensive testing is done every 5 years. We now have 6 test sets to compare and track the health of the lake through the water test results. This year, 2020, will mark our 6th testing period. These comprehensive tests are expensive and cost thousands of dollars each time. Dues, donations to the Water Fund, and fundraising supports this work.


In addition, our water testing team does annual testing which consists of:

Secchi Disc readings

Total Phosphorus

Dissolved Oxygen


Phosphorus - Where Does It Come From?

Phosphorus - Where Does It Come From?

Phosphorus - Where Does It Come From?

 

Phosphorus can come from many sources, such as fertilizers applied to agricultural fields and lawns; deposition of nitrogen from the atmosphere; erosion of soil containing nutrients; and sewage discharges from faulty septic systems and pets. 

Currently the lake is in a balanced equilibrium state where Phosphorus remains tied up in lake

sediments. But residents should remain vigilant in protecting the shoreline from any type of erosion that could change the delicate balance that exists between runoff and the potential impacts on the lake chemistry and the eutrophication

process.  See our Section on  Property Owner Education to see what you can do to help keep our lake balanced.


Eutrophication- What You Need To Know

Eutrophication- What You Need To Know

Eutrophication- What You Need To Know

 

Phosphorus is a major limiting nutrient in lakes.  Excess phosphorus can lead to a process called eutrophication. Eutrophication is a process whereby water bodies, such as lakes, estuaries, or slow-moving streams receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant

growth (algae, periphyton attached algae, and nuisance plants and weeds). This enhanced plant growth, often called an algal bloom, reduces dissolved oxygen in the water when dead plant material decomposes and can cause other organisms to die.  Water with a low concentration of dissolved oxygen is called hypoxic.

Eutrophied body of water

Eutrophication- What You Need To Know

Eutrophication- What You Need To Know

Invasive Plants

Overview

Courtesy Boat Inspection

Courtesy Boat Inspection

The introduction of non-native invasive aquatic plant species into Maine has been escalating with widespread destructive consequences. Our goal is to prevent these plants from reaching our lake. These plants are moved about in complex and often unseen ways, and the speed at which a new introduction can explode into an ecologically and economically disastrous infestation is well documented.

Courtesy Boat Inspection

Courtesy Boat Inspection

Courtesy Boat Inspection

CBI is a program of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. LMA applied for grant funding for this program first in 2013 and has continued it each year since.

You can check too

Courtesy Boat Inspection

What Courtesy Boat Inspectors do:

These are all the areas that boat owners should check when removing your craft from any body of fresh water.

What Courtesy Boat Inspectors do:

What do invasive plants look like?

What Courtesy Boat Inspectors do:

  • Discuss how invasive plants are spread
  • Show boaters how to inspect
  • Urge boaters to inspect before and after every launch
  • Distribute info on invasive plants



What do invasive plants look like?

What do invasive plants look like?

What do invasive plants look like?

Variable Milfoil

There are 2 types of milfoil that are prevalent in infected Maine lakes:

Variable Water-Milfoil (above)

and 

Eurasian Water-Milfoil (right)

You must be trained to identify these plants as they are often confused with native species. LMA offers workshops through the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program bi-annually.

Get more information

What do invasive plants look like?

What do invasive plants look like?

https://www.maine.gov/dep/water/invasives/inspect.html


www.mainevlmp.org/mciap/herbarium/EurasianWatermilfoil.pdf


www.mainevlmp.org/mciap/herbarium/VariableWatermilfoil.pdf


Sign up to be a CBI inspector : email

cherylzb@aol.com or use the Google Sheets scheduler:

 

The sign-up for shifts is done on Google Sheets:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iirZ4zzPbbhnPkrWUmnratUkVWcOLxXHOVyloAwLeCU/edit

Lake Level Monitoring

The Dam

Working with State Agencies

Working with State Agencies

There is a dam on the lake that sits at the opening of the stream that connects to the Dennys River. The level of the lake is determined by the amount of water allowed to go through the dam, the evaporation factor from hot weather and the amount of precipitation combined.

The dam is regulated according to 1st what the Department of Marine Fisheries need for the work they do preserving fish species in the Dennys River and 2nd with the needs of the Lake's recreational users.

Working with State Agencies

Working with State Agencies

Working with State Agencies

The Dam and fish ladder are operated and maintained by the Department of Marine Resources out of Jonesboro. The small "Canal" dam adjacent to the State boat ramp and a part of that property, is a fixed height. It has a small fish ladder that allows Alewife passage into the lake in the Spring, but in dry years the Canal may be dry by late August or September. 

The main dam is a large wooden structure which is quite old. In recent years it has had issues with water leaking through the dam structure (as pictured above) and there have been repairs to mitigate, but not eliminate that.  In addition a huge fish ladder is in place at the dam that allows huge amounts of water to escape the lake. All of these factors are taken into account in determining the dam's setting.

The Canal and Alewives

Working with State Agencies

The Canal and Alewives

The canal has a small fixed height "dam" over which water flows out of the lake and eventually reaches the Dennys River. Likewise some species swim up the canal to get into the lake. Alewives, an anadromous or sea-run fish are the most common. They are important to the lake for several reasons. They provide food for the smallmouth bass for which this lake is famous. They also provide food as bait for lobstermen. 

Optimal Lake Level

Optimal Lake Level

The Canal and Alewives

What is the optimal level for Meddybemps Lake? If you ask 10 people you will likely get 10 different answers. For some it is high enough to get in and out of their docks without hitting bottom, for some it is to keep it steady during loon nesting season, for others it is keeping it low enough that their island doesn't have ponds on it and the docks are accessible. Suffice it to say, it can be a hot topic!

The bottom line is that the Association doesn't have a lot of say in how the dam is managed. Being over an hour ride from the Dam, the Marine Resource staff cannot come by that often either. So we have members who report water levels to them and we are in the process of installing a remote camera so that they and our members will be able to see what is happening at the dam.  

Optimal Lake Level

The fish ladder at the main dam.


For updates on lake level, check our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Lakemeddybempsassociation


Annual Cleanup Days

A Community Project to be done annually on the 1st Saturday of July

Each year Association members and friends scour the area identified for debris. They collect it and dispose of it to keep our lake and its confines as pristine as possible.

2018 - The canal that leads from the lake where the small fish ladder is between the Dam and the Tow

2019 - A large crew went around the Lake and picked up a record amount of debris including a paddle

2020 - cancelled due to Covid

2021 - not scheduled due to Covid

Have you opened a new location, redesigned your shop, or added a new product or service? Don't keep it to yourself, let folks know.

Fundraising

Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

Each year on the Saturday before the Annual Meeting, we host a Blueberry Pancake Breakfast featuring delicious pancakes, real maple syrup, sausage and bacon, muffins, fruit salad and egg casseroles.  

Silent Auction

Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

A silent auction is set up at the breakfast and usually has over 50 items to bid on.


Unfortunately, the Pancake Breakfast will not be held this year due to Covid 19

Featured memorabilia for sale

Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

Featured memorabilia for sale

Each season our Fundraising Committee makes useful items with Meddybemps Lake on them available for purchase. 

Check our Facebook page for up to date information

Dues

Special Funds

Featured memorabilia for sale

Each member pays dues of $15/year. 

Special Funds

Special Funds

Special Funds

There are 2 special funds that supporters make donations to in honor of former members of the Association:

  • Ed Ketchen Water Fund to raise money that supports water testing.
  • Bob Holloway Fund that built the kiosk at the Town Dock

Summary

Special Funds

Special Funds

The Association will stay adequately funded  to accomplish the multiple initiatives undertaken with your support of our various fundraising activities.

Annual Loon Count

Loons are a major part of the enjoyment of Maine lakes and ponds from ice out to November. Their calls are eerily beautiful and the grace in which they glide and submerge are something none of us ever want to have to live without. 

Maine Loon Project

This project has worked for more than three decades to assess the status and safeguard the future of Maine's loon population.

About the Annual Loon Count

From 7:00 AM to 7:30 AM on the third Saturday of July each year, over 1,000 volunteers venture onto lakes and ponds across the state to count loons. The observations recorded by our citizen scientist volunteers provide a "snapshot" of Maine's loon population throughout the state. In 2019, for the 36th year in a row, 1,414 volunteers participated in the count, up from 1,350 in 2018, covering 292 lakes.

2022 Results

Meddybemps Lake

Total Number of Adult Loons: 28

Total Number of Chicks: 1

Lead Poisoning in Adult Loons

Don't forget to use lead-free fishing tackle as this one of the leading causes of death in loons.

Property Owner Education

Phosphorus Buildup

Phosphorus Buildup

Phosphorus Buildup

Phosphorus buildup is a major contributor  to water quality issues. we as property owners can ma

 

We, as property owners, can...  

♦reduce the effects of polluted runoff, ♦protect the quality of our lakes and streams, ♦ and improve property values 

by establishing new vegetated buffers or enhancing existing ones! 


A beautiful green lawn is NOT a good thing for a lake!


 It’s hard to believe one person’s expansive lawn or eroding camp road could be a threat to something as large and enduring as a lake. But when added to a shoreline full of similar sites, it can. All storm water that gets into a lake carries nutrients. Over time, the cumulative impact can be thousands of pounds of pollutants. The result, “death by a thousand cuts,” means algae blooms, fish kills, and the loss of water clarity and spawning habitat. 

Buffer Zones

Phosphorus Buildup

Phosphorus Buildup

The picture on the left is a typical lake front cabin with a lawn in the front right up to the water

 

Leaving natural buffer growth in place or adding it makes a huge difference to the water quality over time. When it rains or snow melts, stormwater runoff picks up various pollutants such as dripped or spilled petroleum products, soil, fertilizer, pesticides, and animal waste and carries them to the nearest ditch, storm drain or stream and then on to lakes, rivers and bays. Individually small amounts of pollutants may seem insignificant, but collectively they add up to create the largest source of pollution to Maine’s waters. How can we keep these pollutants out of our waters? By reducing the source of pollutants and by capturing the stormwater before it moves off your property.   

Septic Systems

Phosphorus Buildup

Septic Systems

One danger to the Lake that can be avoided is to be sure that your septic system is in good working order. Some camps were built almost a hundred years ago and those systems were not designed to support some of the more modern uses like washing machines, dishwashers, additions with extra baths, etc.

So, have your system checked out.

Lake Smart

More information sources

Septic Systems

 

LakeSmart is an education and reward program that assists lakefront homeowners manage landscapes in ways that protect water quality. The program is free, non-regulatory and voluntary. Participating homeowners receive individualized suggestions for keeping pollutants in stormwater out of lake waters. This type of contamination is the leading cause of damage to lakes.

The Maine Lakes Society partners with lake associations to deliver LakeSmart education property-by-property and shore-by-shore to create a conservation ethic across lake communities. Trained volunteers perform property assessments for participating homeowners. Sites that score well earn the coveted LakeSmart Award, consisting of two distinctive blue and white signs that can be posted at the waterfront and driveway. The signs identify the homes of good stewards and illustrate what lake-friendly living looks like.


More information sources

More information sources

 



More information sources

More information sources

More information sources

Links that give detailed information for Shoreline Land Owners:

https://www.maine.gov/dep/land/watershed/camp/index.html


https://www.maine.gov/dep/land/slz/index.html


https://mainelakessociety.org/lakesmart-2/


https://www.eastcoastshows.com/conservation/

Governance

LMA is governed by a Board of Directors and Bylaws incorporated in the State of Maine

The Board consists of: 

Officers - President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer

There are 12 Directors


Our current Board:

President:   Cheryl Zwingman-Bagley

Vice President: Durell Buzzini

Secretary: Katy Hews

Treasurer: Diane James


Directors:

Cary James, Pete Trouant, Toby Adelman (VP elect), Jeff Orchard, Sue Pearson, Glenn Ball, Karen Putnam, Carrie Tamayo, Elizabeth Doran, Ingrid Hews, Larry Fisch, Amy Salamon


Annual Meeting

This meeting is held every year on the first Sunday of August at the Meddybemps Community Center at 11 AM. The meeting is kicked off with a speaker on a subject that is of interest to the membership. After that the business portion of the meeting commences. 

Board Meetings

The whole Board meets at least once per year but often multiple times per year in person and with the use of online applications. 

Committees

Fundraising - Chaired by Meg Teele-Rothberg

Membership- Chaired by Susan Bogden

Pancake Breakfast - Chaired by Diane James

Auction - Chaired by Meg Teele-Rothberg

Board Development - Karen Putnam



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