Lake Smart and Youth Conservation Corps
What is LakeSmart?
LakeSmart is a Maine Lakes education and outreach program that incentivizes the protection of water quality through “living lightly on the land”. The program is free, non-regulatory, and voluntary. Participating homeowners receive individualized suggestions for keeping pollutants from stormwater and erosion out of lake waters.
According to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, soil displaced from eroding sites is the top pollutant in our lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands. The soil that enters our water resources carries other pollutants such as oil, fertilizer, and phosphorus. These pollutants contribute to declining water clarity and algal blooms.
Midcoast Conservancy is a LakeSmart regional partner and will visit lakeside properties, checking for erosion around structures, in the yard, and along the lake. Properties that protect the lake and meet LakeSmart standards earn a LakeSmart Award, consisting of two distinctive signs that can be posted at the waterfront and driveway. The signs identify the homes of good stewards and show everyone what lake-friendly living looks like.
If your property does not meet LakeSmart standards we will offer suggestions to make improvements. Our Youth Conservation Corps can help you achieve your LakeSmart Award by providing labor to implement erosion control practices at no cost.
For more information on our LakeSmart program, please email our Damariscotta Lake Watershed Manager Patricia Nease.
Youth Conservation Corps
Our Youth Conservation Corps or YCC implements erosion control practices that prevent polluted stormwater runoff from entering our water resources. In 2022 we will be focusing on the Damariscotta Lake watershed however, we are hoping to one day expand to the rest of our service area. YCC has the dual impact of protecting water bodies from pollution and empowering the next generation to be the driving force behind this mission. The YCC crew provides free labor to property owners with the shared goal to create landscapes that will infiltrate water loaded with pollutants and stabilize soil so less sediment is displaced. Property owners only pay for the cost of materials.
YCC's work will have a positive impact on all who enjoy or rely on our water resources! With every erosion issue fixed, pollution is prevented from entering the watershed and therefore contributes to higher water quality in Damariscotta Lake. Every project completed in the watershed also involves property owners’ education on how their land use affects water quality. Homeowner education is just the beginning of increasing stormwater pollution awareness. A sign will be posted at every site a YCC erosion control project is completed. This aims to spark conversation within the community with knowledgeable homeowners leading the discussion.
