Contact our LakeSmart Coordinator for an evaluation.
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 storm water out of lake waters. This type of contamination is the leading cause of damage to lakes.
The Maine Lakes Society partners with the Crescent Lake Watershed Association to deliver LakeSmart education property by property and shore by shore to create a conservation ethic across our lake community. 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.
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.
To be LakeSmart means that the homeowners have received the education and techniques and are using natural landscaping strategies to protect their lake. LakeSmart landscaping mimics nature’s rich mosaic of plants, shrubs, winding
paths, and shady trees – so it looks great, enhances privacy, and works hard to protect property values, wildlife habitat, water quality, recreational opportunities and the vitality of local economies.
If each homeowner does a little, the sum of many small actions adds up to a lot of lake protection. And being LakeSmart is the place to start!
Lakes Environmental Association, a private non-profit organization founded in 1970, prepared this booklet to give landowners a guide to protecting lakes. If we want to continue to enjoy the extraordinary natural resources of this region, we all must participate in the effort to protect them. Lakes are fragile, so every small effort to help is meaningful, especially when multiplied by what hundreds of other watershed landowners can do. Here are practical ways to protect lakes and the value of your property.
Read on to learn more about living lakes, what helps (and hurts) them, and how you can take action now to protect them long into the future. Engaging your neighbors, friends, town officials, and other community members in these actions is essential to success.
A Maine Lakes Training video Part 1
Knowing what you know, what can you do about it?
A visit from a LakeSmart volunteer can assist you with erosion control. Want to see exactly how these are done?
The on-line library provided by Maine Lakes is full of information for maintaining water quality. Information on Best Management Practices, Buffers and more.
Want more Information?