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Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission
Watershed Newsletter
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Happy spring! There were some big seasonal changes to the watershed in April: open water on the lake, trees leafing out along the trails, and air filled with the sounds of birds (including loons!). I hope you are able to get outside on the water or the trails in May and enjoy the sunshine (and rain) we are sure to get. At the very least I hope you can open up your windows and hear some of that lovely birdsong.
Phoebe
Photo by Rob Crosby
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REMINDER: Wild Turkey Hunting
April 28-May 31 is the spring hunting season for wild turkey. Hunting is allowed on some tracts of LAWPC land, so it is advised to wear blaze orange when recreating on LAWPC trails during this time.
Hunters wishing to use LAWPC land must obtain a permit from LAWPC and carry a current, signed Landowner Courtesy Card at all times. For more information, visit the link on the left.
Photo by Ash Farz on Unsplash
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Introduction to Birdwatching
When: Tuesday May 6, 4-6pm
Where: Auburn Public Library
In this class students learn the basics of bird watching. Topics include useful equipment, desirable skills, common birds in the area, productive locations and seasons for birding in Maine, and finally a discussion of the joys and satisfactions of watching birds.
*This event is offered through a partnership between the Auburn Public Library and Lewiston Auburn Senior College, and is not hosted by LAWPC. However, it is a great way to learn about birding before our walk on May 10! Visit the link below for more details.
Photo by Ryan Magsino on Unsplash
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Birding Walk
When: Saturday May 10, 8-10am
Where: Whitman Spring Road Trail, south entrance
Whether you're brand new to the hobby or have been birding for years, join LAWPC and Maine Master Naturalist Christine Murray on World Migratory Bird Day. Plenty of birds pass by Lake Auburn on their migratory routes, and we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open for migrating and resident birds alike!
No experience or tools necessary, though binoculars may be helpful if you have them. Whitman Spring Road Trail is a wide dirt road, mostly flat but with some steeper sections. Click the link below for more information.
Photo by Anabel Cardenas on Unsplash
| | National Drinking Water Week | |
National Drinking Water Week began in 1988 as a way to recognize the importance of safe, clean drinking water and to appreciate the people who provide this critical resource to the public. Access to clean water is essential for almost every aspect of our daily lives, yet it’s something many people take for granted until it’s gone or compromised. This week encourages communities to learn more about where their water comes from and how they can help protect it for future generations. As you turn on the tap today, ask yourself: What would your day look like if clean water wasn’t there when you needed it? For more information on Lake Auburn, Auburn and Lewiston’s drinking water source, and efforts to protect it, visit our website using the link below.
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Reflections
Spring Nature Walk
We had a great time on our Spring Nature Walk led by Maine Master Naturalist Jack Flanagan! Jack taught us where to look for different kinds of lichen and how to ID trees from their bark and shape, and we learned all about the surficial geology of the Lake Auburn watershed. A huge thank you to Jack, and to the community members who joined us!
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Rainbow Smelt
Be on the lookout for smelt running in brooks and streams this month! There are two kinds of rainbow smelt in Maine: anadromous populations spend most of their lives in the ocean and come upstream to spawn, and landlocked populations spend their whole lives in freshwater. Spawning occurs soon after ice-out, with eggs hatching two to three weeks later. At this stage the young fry are transparent and only about 1/4 inch long! Smelt are an important food source for lake ecosystems and are eaten by landlocked salmon, lake trout, and brown trout, to name a few. Because of their importance, they are protected in Lake Auburn and its tributaries, and the taking of smelt is prohibited. Fortunately, we can all still enjoy seeing them make their annual journey to spawn. For more information on the status of rainbow smelt in Maine, visit the link below.
Image from Osmeridae: Smelts by Hopkins, 2019
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Ostrich Fern
Ferns are beginning to emerge from the soil and leaf out this month. While it's notoriously hard to tell species apart in the early stages of growth, you can usually identify the ostrich fern by its thin, papery covering. An added bonus to finding them: they're edible! Young ostrich fern shoots are called fiddleheads and are a seasonal delicacy found in many restaurants this time of year -- their taste has been described as a cross between asparagus, baby spinach, and artichoke. Not all fern species are edible, so take great care when foraging for fiddleheads. Make absolutely sure that you can identify an ostrich fern from other species, wash fiddleheads thoroughly, and cook before eating.
Photo by Dan Jaffe from Maine Audubon
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How Can I Help?
Gardening & Lawn Care
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With the warmer weather upon us, many folks are heading outside to tend to lawns and gardens. While it's fun to get outdoor spaces ready to be used, it's important to remember that our actions can affect more than just our own land. Read on to learn about how you can help your watershed through your gardening and lawn care choices:
What's the problem? Pesticides and fertilizers making their way into Lake Auburn through runoff.
Why does it matter? Pesticides and fertilizers rarely stay directly where they are applied. When you water your garden or lawn, or a rainstorm hits, chemicals that have been used in that area can get picked up and carried along in the runoff. This runoff -- and pesticides and fertilizer along with it -- will make its way into nearby streams and brooks, which eventually empty into the largest body of water in the watershed. Both chemicals cause problems, though in different ways. Fertilizers have a large amount of nitrogen and phosphorus, which both contribute to algal blooms, while pesticides have a range of potential impacts on health, depending on exposure and toxicity. Lake Auburn is the primary drinking water source for Auburn and Lewiston and is so clean that the public water suppliers have been granted filtration waivers from the EPA, meaning that filtration is not a requirement of the water treatment process. This makes it even more important that we all work together to limit the amount of pesticides, nitrogen, and phosphorus making their way into the lake, so that we can keep it clean for years to come.
What can I do to help? Limit your use of pesticides in your garden and yard, and use compost (which you can purchase from most gardening centers and nurseries) rather than chemical-based fertilizers, as it has a lower chance of being carried along in runoff. Use native plants in your garden -- because they are adapted to the climate conditions and insects of the area, they require less care in the form of pesticides, fertilizer, and watering. You can also begin to transition your yard or a portion of your yard into a less-tended space. Movements like No Mow May encourage homeowners to let weeds and other flowering plants found in their yard grow, as they provide an important food source for pollinators. With less maintenance needed, you'll automatically be using fewer pesticides and fertilizers.
How can I get more involved? Keep an eye out for local native plant sales this time of year, or ask your local nursery what native plants they sell. If you want to do more for pollinators than giving them just one month of respite from the mower, try setting aside a portion of your yard to remain unmowed year-round, or turn it into a meadow. Many people don't use the majority of their lawn space anyway -- it would be better used by wildlife! If you live in the Lake Auburn watershed and are interested in a free site evaluation and suggestions about where and what to plant, send an email to lakeauburnwater@lakeauburnwater.org, or fill out our general inquiries form using the link below. We'd be happy to help!
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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Water Quality Spotlight
Ice-Out
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On April 14th, the ice was officially gone from Lake Auburn. This was substantially later than last year's ice-out date of March 13th, which was the earliest ice-out in Lake Auburn's recorded history. Ice-out can vary greatly from year to year, but there is a long-term trend of earlier ice-out dates in recent years. The graph above shows historical ice-out data from 1836 to 2024. The ice-out date in the graph is represented as "days after January 1," meaning that the 90 represents April 1, and 120 represents May 1 (or one day prior to these in a leap year). The solid line shows each year's ice-out date, while the dotted line shows the trend over time. In addition to the long-term trend toward earlier dates, we can also see multiple recent years where ice-out occurred in March, something which never happened in the 1800s.
While a later ice-out date can be a disappointment for boaters, it's a boon for water quality. Ice forms a protective barrier over a lake, sheltering the water from the sometimes brutal winter and spring winds. Without this barrier, storms can cause waves that pound the shoreline, leading to increased erosion. Eroded material makes its way into the lake and muddies up the water, which affects oxygen production and can interfere with the drinking water treatment process. Ice coverage also deflects sunlight, meaning later ice-out times help keep water temperature down. Without the ice, water temperatures increase, creating favorable conditions for invasive plants and algae and decreasing the dissolved oxygen content of the water. So while a late ice-out might delay spring activities on the lake, it plays an important role in protecting Lake Auburn’s water quality and overall health.
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Thank You
Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission (LAWPC) is incredibly grateful to have community members like you who care about Lake Auburn and support the protection of the watershed. Together, we can protect the drinking water source for tens of thousands of our neighbors in Auburn and Lewiston, provide a multitude of recreation opportunities, and keep Lake Auburn beautiful and clean for many years to come.
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Join Us
If you are interested in becoming more involved with LAWPC, please fill out our
general inquiries form or email us at lakeauburnwater@lakeauburnwater.org. We are always looking for volunteers, and can work with you to find the best fit for your individual or group needs. We look forward to hearing from you!
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you would like to partner with us, or have ideas for events, volunteering opportunities, or other things you’d like to see happening in the watershed, let us know! Send us an email at lakeauburnwater@lakeauburnwater.org, or fill out our general inquiries form at this link. We look forward to hearing from you!
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