Category Archives: Maine Lakes

Upcoming Spring Maine Lakes Webinars

Maine Lakes is putting on a number of webinars this spring on topics of potential interest to friends of Clary Lake. The two that grabbed my attention (highlighted below) are one on PFAS in Maine Lakes and Rivers, and one on Maine’s Newest Aquatic Threats. You’ll find more of interest including a notice for the Water and Sustainability Conference on March 29th on the Maine Lakes website: https://www.lakes.me/ 

PFAS in Maine Lakes and Rivers
Tom Danielson, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Thursday, April 11 at 5 p.m. Register HERE.

You have probably read about PFAS in the news lately as it relates to contaminated farmland. Tom Danielson of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection will present information about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals”, in Maine’s lakes and rivers.

Maine’s Newest Aquatic Threats 
Brett Willard and Christine Guerrette, Lake Stewards of Maine 
Thursday, April 18 at 5 p.m. Register HERE.

In early 2023, four new plants were added to Maine’s watch list for potentially invasive aquatic plants. Since their addition, three new infestations of one of these new invaders have been discovered in Maine lakes, with likely more to come. In this webinar the Aquatic Invasive Species team at Lake Stewards of Maine will discuss how to identify these four plants and their native lookalikes, how LSM is engaging with lake communities with active infestations, and how volunteers can become involved in battling aquatic invaders across Maine. 

Maine Lakes & Lake Stewards of Maine Annual Conference

LSM’s Annual Conference this year will be a joint conference with Maine Lakes.
Location:  China Lake Conference Center
Date: June 17, 2023. There are discounts for early registration, LSM Water Quality monitors and Invasive Plant Patrollers, and Maine Lakes’ LakeSmart volunteers.

Please have a look at the conference webpage to register and to learn more about the programming, workshops, sponsors, door prizes, and silent auction items that will be at this all-day, engaging, and inspiring day. Information will be added in the coming weeks as the schedule of speakers and activities are finalized.

Maine Lakes Fall 2021 Newsletter Is Out

Maine Lakes (formerly the Maine Lakes Society) has posted their Fall 2021 Newsletter and as usual, they’ve done a fantastic job of highlighting Maine Lakes and the issues they face. As usual, they cover a lot of ground. I found section 3 Recovering Loon Years Lost: Maine’s New Loon Stewardship Project to be a particularly compelling read, seeing as how loons are a prominent aspect of summers on Clary Lake. Our loons haven’t successful raised a family in quite a few years; the last time they actually managed to hatch any chicks was in the summer of 2018 (see: 27 June 2018: Loon Family Pictures) and sadly, both babies unaccountably disappeared by the 4th of July (see: 04 July 2018: Loon Chicks Missing). They nested again in 2019 but failed to hatch any chicks and we have not seen our loons attempting to nest since, a situation which is both highly unusual and quite disturbing.

A preliminary screening has identified 99 Maine lakes to be included in the Loon Stewardship Project. Clary Lake is not on that list, but ultimately, ALL Maine lakes will be considered and we look forward to participating in this program in whatever ways are deemed appropriate. Stay tuned for more about this interesting and important initiative.

floating_loon_nestThe CLA has a history of trying to foster loon nesting on Clary Lake. Back in the spring of 1999, the Clary Lake Association built and launched a floating loon nest. It disappeared after a while and it isn’t clear if the nest was ever actually used by anything besides turtles. The nest, which we thought was lost, turned up again a couple of summers ago (see: 03 June 2020: Floating Loon Nest Found After 21 Years).

There is loads more of interest in Maine Lake’s latest newsletter including an excellent write up about the LakeSmart program, something which should be of interest to all of Clary’s lake shore owners. I hope you take some time to read this newsletter! Here’s a link to the Fall 2021 Newsletter in HTML format:

If you prefer you can view a printable PDF version

The Clary Lake Association has been a supporter of Maine Lakes for a long, long time and continues to offer our financial support to this important organization.

Maine Lakes 2021 Spring Newsletter

A little late but better late than never, Maine Lake’s Spring 2021 newsletter is now freely available on line and is well worth perusing. The Clary Lake Association has been a long time member of Maine Lakes (formerly the Maine Lakes Society). Among other things, Maine Lakes administers the award winning LakeSmart program: “LakeSmart is an education and reward program that helps lakefront homeowners manage landscapes in ways that protect water quality. The program is free, non-regulatory, and voluntary.” The Clary Lake Association is considering participating in the LakeSmart program in the near future.