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*Lake Conference just SEVEN Days Away
*Please join us at Unwined in Skowhegan on June 24th!
*Merger Exploration Underway
*Cyanobacteria Bloom Dashboard for Maine
*Native Plant Spotlight: Common Elderberry
*Shoreline Stabilization Workshop
*Preventing the Spread of Invasive Aquatic Plants
| | Lake Conference Just SEVEN Days Away! | | |
The 2026 Maine Lake Conference is officially sold out!
We look forward to seeing over 200 lake supporters, including many of you, on Friday, June 12th at the UMaine campus in Orono. If you are not able to attend this year, please know that the conference will happen again in June of 2027.
We'll post the videos from the conference to the conference website by the end of June. And check back for more details about the next conference.
| | Please join Maine Lakes at Unwined Wine Bar & Tap House | | |
We're coming to Skowhegan!
We are excited to be collaborating with Unwined Wine Bar & Tap House for an evening to raise awareness about Maine's clean lake future and funds to support our work.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
5:00 – 8:00 PM
Unwined Wine Bar & Tap House
151 Water Street, Skowhegan
Unwined owner, Mary Haley, is crafting a special cocktail for the event and will donate $2 to Maine Lakes for every cocktail sold. Attendees will get a chance to win a terrific prize package with each drink purchase, and everyone is invited to take part in a “Love Your Lake” activity.
Members of Lake Wesserunsett Association are joining us to share information about their work to protect and preserve the lake they steward in nearby Madison.
Mark your calendar and make plans with your friends and fellow lake lovers to join us for this fun and meaningful evening out!
| | Merger Exploration Underway | |
If you are a Maine Lakes member, you received a message earlier this week from Toni Pied, Maine Lakes Board President, with news about an exciting opportunity before us. Last spring, the boards of both Lake Stewards of Maine and Maine Lakes voted to support an exploration of how we might strengthen collaboration between these two organizations, including the possiblity of merging into one organization.
Please read Toni's letter HERE.
We have a feedback form and welcome your input about the benefits (and challenges) you see in a possible merger. We are happy to report that so far the feedback form is full of positive comments relating to greater efficiency, stronger programs, reduced confusion, and most importantly, broader mission success.
Please share any thoughts you have at this early stage HERE.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to more updates as our due- diligence phase of exploration moves ahead.
| MAINE DEP Releases New Dashboard | | |
Exciting news!
Reducing the likelihood of harmful Cyanobacterial blooms on our lakes drives much of our work. Programs like LakeSmart help reduce phosphorus pollution. Less phosphorus in a lake helps reduce excess algae growth and makes the lake more resilient to future blooms.
We are excited to share the news that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has released a new dashboard for reporting algal blooms. You can now report a new bloom and you can also see the locations of other reported blooms. By reporting blooms, we can help get water tested early and we can also take steps to safeguard the health of pets and people if harmful blooms are identified.
New dashboard: Maine Cyanobacteria Bloom Reporting Dashboard.
Report Form: Maine Cyanobacteria Bloom Report Form.
To learn more, visit this page of the Maine DEP website.
A reminder that regardless of the status of the bloom, you (and your pets) should stay away from thick, green, algal "scums" that form on any of our lakes.
Thank you for your interest in monitoring and
reporting algal blooms in Maine lakes!
| Native Plant Spotlight: Common Elderberry | | |
Common Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a hearty shrub that can survive almost anywhere that gets at least partial sun. It can grow to be ten feet high and grows especially well in moist soils so it’s a perfect plant for your shoreline buffer.
Plants send up suckers that are easy to move, allowing you to expand or fill in shoreland buffers with very little effort. This is also one of the best species to propagate by live staking. Elderberry can host up to 37 different caterpillar species and also provides tasty berries for birds (and people). Key to berry production is having more than one plant that is not genetically identical.
This species also has gorgeous snowy white flowers that bloom in early summer. If you are looking for a hearty shrub for your shoreline, consider adding a Common Elderberry and reap the many benefits this plant offers.
| | |
Shoreline Stabilization Workshop with Maine DEP | | |
Learn about inland shoreline stabilization at this workshop offered by Maine DEP.
Soil erosion is not only a source of non-point source pollution but it can also threaten structures and other development along waterbodies. Historically, there was a single approach to shoreline erosion: fill the shoreline with rock or riprap without regard to the ecological functions of the shoreline. While this approach can be successful in solving the erosion problem when done correctly, we now know it creates other problems for waterbodies, fish, and wildlife.
Shoreline erosion can caused by several factors, and finding an appropriate solution requires an understanding of each reason behind the erosion. In this class, participants will be exposed to the factors leading to shoreline erosion, how land use and behavior affects shorelines, state permitting standards related to shoreline stabilization, the importance of vegetation and other natural processes in stabilization of shorelines, and how to minimize impacts to the water on shoreline projects.
Thursday, June 25, 2026
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District
35 Main Street, Windham
This class qualifies for 4 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) for individuals Certified in Erosion Control Practices by Maine DEP.
| | Preventing the Spread of Invasive Aquatic Plants | | |
This recent photo essay by Susan Onion, Co-Founder of the Onion Foundation, and Ash Holland, Onion Foundation Staff Writer is a must read for anyone interested in learning more about invasive aquatic plants and the work being done to survey, map, remove, and monitor these plants in Maine's lakes.
In words and photos, the piece describes the four phases of this work - prevention, early detection, control & remediation, and ongoing monitoring.
You'll find this timely and informative essay on the Onion Foundation website.
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Enjoy the welcome approach of summer
and we'll be back with more Lake News in July!
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