The “care and maintenance” of our lake begins with all residents being aware of the factors that can affect our lake’s health. Many Waubeekans live along the shoreline of our lake – their awareness of what makes a healthy shoreline is especially critical.
We’ve brought together many resources on this page to help you learn more. You can start by carefully reading this article “So you think you want a lake view?” which explains the importance of maintaining proper vegetation–trees, plants, shrubs–near our lake’s shoreline.
Lakes Like Less Lawns
Whether you have lakefront property or live many feet from the lake, you can help protect lake water quality by reducing your lawn and making your property more beautiful and more valuable at the same time. “Lakes Like Less Lawns” is an excellent planting guide produced by the Portland Water District in partnership with the Lakes Environmental Association.
Planting a Rain Garden
Maine’s Department of Environmental Protections offers several informative fact sheets in their “Conservation Practices for Homeowners” series. We especially like this sheet about Rain Gardens: Using Vegetation to Protect Water Quality.
Our Lake’s Health
No matter where you live in our community, all residents need to be aware that things they put on their lawns could potentially end up in the lake, causing pollution and environmental harm. Please avoid the use of fertilizers on your lawn. According to environmental experts,
“Excessive fertilizer that washes into storm drains eventually makes its way into bodies of water such as rivers and lakes, causing pollution. Although the environmental impact is considerably larger from the overuse of fertilizers on farms – simply due to the amount they use – it’s also a problem from fertilizer use in home gardens. The misuse of fertilizer often has negative effects on fish and other aquatic animals. Algae feed off of the nutrients in fertilizers, using up oxygen that fish and other animals need. Additionally, ammonia released by fertilizer is harmful to fish.”
This Scientific American article, “How Fertilizers Harm Earth More Than Help Your Lawn,” lays the issue out very clearly.
The quality of the lake’s water is regularly monitored. Click here to view the report.
Autumn Shoreline Reminder
The Lake Waubeeka Association Rules State:
Lake and Beaches
- The beaches of Lake Waubeeka are open from dawn to 11:00 p.m. daily. No one may contaminate or otherwise threaten the normal and healthy conditions of the lake and its surrounding ecosystem, discharge or abandon any foreign or waste material in it directly or indirectly, or deprive the community of its use.