Each year, we welcome a group of seasonal staff to our team for the field season and this year’s group was one of our best! Our team had a great mix of newcomers and experienced returners, all bringing energy, hard work, and a willingness to learn every day. Whether they were surveying for invasive plants or inspecting boats and educating boaters about aquatic invasive species, they made a positive and meaningful impact. We hope you had a chance to meet them out in the field!

Denise Cilley - Courtesy Boat Inspector 

Katie Cilley - Invasive Plant Surveyor, Courtesy Boat Inspector 

Taylor Hawkes - Invasive Plant Surveyor, Courtesy Boat Inspector 

Lina Martinez-Nocito - Courtesy Boat Inspector

Hazel McEnaney -Invasive Plant Surveyor, Courtesy Boat Inspector 

Malia Ranger - Courtesy Boat Inspector

Tamara Rusakovich - Invasive Plant Surveyor, Courtesy Boat Inspector 

Ava Sucharzewski - Invasive Plant Surveyor, Courtesy Boat Inspector 

Last month, Androscoggin Lake reached “harmful algal bloom” (HAB) status, with a Secchi Disk Transparency (water clarity) reading measured below 1 meter. On September 24th, 30 Mile staff accompanied Maine DEP staff to collect water samples to identify the algae species and to determine if the water is toxic. The results of these collections have concluded that the dominant type of algae causing this bloom is a species of cyanobacteria called Dolichospermum. This is the most common bloom-forming species in Maine lakes and is the same species responsible for the blooms in 2021, 2023, and 2024. It is also confirmed that there is a detectable amount of microcystin in the water. Microcystin is a toxin caused by this species of cyanobacteria and it was found within scum samples collected at the shoreline. 

As of October 14th, the clarity had improved to 1.69 meters, but this is still low enough (below 2 M) to be classified as a lake wide algal bloom. We continue to receive reports of scum accumulations along the shorelines. If toxins are being produced, the highest concentrations are often found in scums. These scums should be avoided. 



Please refer to this Maine DEP webpage and our Androscoggin Bloom Latest Updates webpage for additional information, guidelines, and updates. And remember, when in doubt, stay out.

Since the lake bloomed in 2021, 30 Mile has devoted a significant amount of effort towards understanding and addressing the causes of the recurring algal blooms on Androscoggin Lake. Over the last four years, 30 Mile has been working with the Androscoggin Lake Association (ALIC), Maine DEP, US EPA and lake science experts to complete the data collection and analysis needed to pinpoint the causes of the blooms and inform long-term management solutions for the lake’s recovery. If funding permits, we hope to complete the data collection in 2026.

Following completion of a comprehensive watershed survey in 2022, 30 Mile

developed the Androscoggin Lake Watershed-Based Protection Plan (WBPP), which was approved by the U.S. EPA and Maine DEP in early 2023. This plan provides a ten-year roadmap for reducing phosphorus loading and improving water quality throughout the watershed. With this foundation in place, 30 Mile secured a federal Clean Water Act Section 319 grant that brings nearly $150,000 in funding over three years (2024-2026) to support erosion control and stormwater management projects on both public and private roads, as well as other private property, directly reducing sediment and phosphorus runoff into the lake. Several projects have been completed, and funding is still available for additional projects in 2026. 

Complementing this work, 30 Mile has expanded its research and public outreach to address additional sources of pollution. A 2023 Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund grant supported the creation of a watershed-wide Septic System Risk Analysis and database, now available to be used as a planning tool by towns and residents. In 2025, 30 Mile and ALIC hosted a community “Septic Social” to promote septic maintenance.

For more details, visit our FAQs page.

Photos: Sara York, 30 Mile's Water Quality Specialist, collecting scum samples. Photos by Martha Hoddinott

Learn more at an upcoming forum in Wayne on Monday, November 10th, at 6:30 PM at the Wayne Community Church and via Zoom. 30 Mile’s Lidie Robbins will provide an overview of the lake’s conditions and factors triggering the blooms, the work currently being done, and future plans to identify solutions. Ted Tucci from ALIC will discuss opportunities for community engagement. Matt Scott, retired DEP lake expert, will address experiences and solutions on other lakes. For live-streaming: https://www.facebook.com/waynemeumc.

CONGRATULATIONS to our Summer 2024 Photo Contest winners!

To see the the full images, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and  Instagram.

Lovable Loons

Spectacular Scenes

Watershed Wildlife

When: October 29th, 5:30-7:30 PM

Where: 7 Lakes Alliance Office, 137 Main Street, Belgrade Lakes

The Bureau of Parks and Lands is hosting a public meeting to present and take comments on their management plan, which includes newly acquired parcels and the Trails Plan. Several of these trails are located within our watershed, and land parcels include those atop Vienna Mountain.

As the last leaves turn and begin to fall, it’s important to consider the ways that leaving your leaves can help protect our lakes and ponds. Leaves create important shelter and food for many native pollinators and wildlife. Through the winter, these fallen leaves offer cozy cover for invertebrates that also help break them down and build up your natural duff layer, an important part of your buffer that holds soil in place and absorbs runoff. Rather than raking all of your leaves this fall, consider leaving some in place! You can read more about the benefits of “Leave the Leaves” here and here.