Education and Outreach in the Watershed

Students search for benthic macroinvertebrates at Camp Susan Curtis during a KLWA lesson.

On a crisp and sunny morning in early October a group of Fryeburg Academy ninth graders got their first look at benthic macroinvertebrates – by visiting a pond right on their campus. This class was one of four Fryeburg Academy classes our Outreach Manager visited this fall to provide hands-on water quality lessons. We were also busy with kids earlier this summer at Camp Susan Curtis (pictured above). During a KLWA lesson, campers created mini watersheds and collected macroinvertebrates. We determined that Trout Pond is fed by a healthy stream and had a great time with the kids!

Campers classify macroinvertebrates and learn which are sensitive to poor water quality.

We also got several groups out onto Kezar Lake. In addition to hosting a few free pontoon boat rides in August, we took a group of Fryeburg Academy research students out on Kezar this fall to sample water quality. The group sampled dissolved oxygen, took water clarity readings with a Secchi disk, and encountered a most memorable raft of twelve loons!

Board member Heinrich Wurm teaches a Fryeburg Academy student how to measure dissolved oxygen.

The Fryeburg Academy crew in good spirits after a sunny afternoon of water sampling.

KLWA membership contributions support our education and outreach. Thanks to each of you for your ongoing support as we work to engage and educate future generations of water stewards.

By Emlyn Emerock and Wendy Molin

Loons struggled to nest in rising waters

As May rains poured into June, Kezar’s loons hunkered in their nests, watching and waiting as the lake level rose around them. For loons not using nesting platforms, the situation was dire. Their carefully built nests–sanctuaries that were high and dry when built– became tattered as waves and boat wakes slapped against their edges. Nest bowls, once well above water level, became saturated, threatening the health of the eggs within. 

Between rainfalls, the birds scooped up mud and decaying leaves from the lake bottom, building up the height of their nests. Their forays were quick as their eggs needed the warmth of constant incubation to survive the wet conditions. 

A flooded nest on Heald Pond in 2023.

Trout Pond’s loons were the watershed’s first to nest, a strategy that by late May seemed to be backfiring. With their nest just an inch above the pond’s edge, the forecast of four inches of rain in the final week before their eggs would hatch was foreboding.  

Hidden from the incubating bird’s view, our loon team silently rolled nesting materials down the steep slope behind the birds’ nest. Undisturbed and uninterested, the loons ignored the materials throughout the next day. But on the second day, as rains poured down, the adults worked through the pile, pecking and packing as they raised the nest walls. Their efforts paid off when days later, two healthy chicks hatched, a playful pair that would learn to thrive in a summer of storms. 

But Kezar’s loons were not so lucky. Having gotten off to a later start, the unceasing rains proved to be more than any nest-bolstering could handle. One by one, Kezar’s land nests were abandoned as drenched eggs grew cold. On Heald Pond as well, the waters rose too high for the birds to hang on. 

Attempts were also made to help reconstruct the Heald Pond nest.

So was the year a total wipe out? With just one chick surviving on Kezar, at times it felt that way. But in seasons like this one, nesting rafts can provide an important haven because they rise and fall with the water level, keeping the nests dry despite flooding conditions. Yet while multiple chicks did hatch on Kezar’s nesting rafts, all but one were lost to eagles and intruding loons. 

As in past years, the watershed’s total chick count was boosted by the high survival rate of the chicks on our ponds. A pair of chicks hatched on Horseshoe’s raft and a singleton from Cushman Pond’s raft all thrived. Combined with Trout’s pair and Kezar’s Lower Bay chick, the watershed’s fledging chick count was six: a fortunate outcome for a very wet year. 

Although average chick numbers of eight or more per season keep our loon population in the sustainable range, year to year fluctuation is expected. With a little help from nesting rafts, the devastation of 2023 was not as bad as it might have been, yet the weakness of one season puts pressure on years that follow.

Article and photos contributed by Laura Robinson 

New Boater Safety Course Requirement

There is a new law that goes into effect in 2024 you should be aware of.

Watercraft Educational Requirement

Beginning January 1, 2024, a person born on or after January 1, 1999 may not operate a motorboat of twenty-five (25) horsepower or greater for recreational boating purposes on inland waters of this State or territorial waters, unless that person is 12 years of age or older and has completed a boater safety and education course.  They must take a NASBLA approved Boating Safety Education Course and obtain the Boating Safety Education Card.

Personal Water Craft Educational Requirement

A person under 16 years of age may not operate a personal watercraft.

Beginning January 1, 2024, a person born on or after January 1, 1999 may not operate a personal watercraft on inland waters of the State unless that person is 16 years of age or older and has completed a boater safety and education course.

Definition of personal watercraft

"Personal watercraft" means any motorized watercraft that is 14 feet or less in hull length as manufactured, has as its primary source of propulsion an inboard motor powering a jet pump and is capable of carrying one or more persons in a sitting, standing or kneeling position. "Personal watercraft" includes, but is not limited to, a jet ski, wet bike, surf jet and miniature speedboat. "Personal watercraft" also includes motorized watercraft whose operation is controlled by a water skier. "Personal watercraft" does not include a motorized watercraft that does not have a horsepower rating greater than 15 horsepower and does not generate an unreasonable amount of noise. 

Learn where to take a boater education course:

www.maine.gov/ifw/programs-resources/educational-programs/safety-courses/boating-safety.html

Written by Chris Brink

A LakeSmart Shoreline Restoration

How a couple made their property lake-friendly and found they liked their “new look” even more.

Bill Paulman and Sarah Clemons and their families have had the camp on Kezar Lake for over 75 years.  What they didn’t know during that time was how the lake could be negatively affected by what they did on their property.  Increased run off from lawns and driveways could add sedimentation and phosphorus that could contribute to algae blooms on the lake. 

Then Bill and Sarah learned about LakeSmart, a free program for landowners offered by Maine Lakes. They introduced the program to Kezar Lake in 2017.  When they had their property evaluated they learned there was a lot they could do to make their property lake-friendly.  It would take some time but not a lot of money to do it. So, they started to implement some changes that would have a positive impact on the lake.

One of the most important changes was restoring a strong buffer on their shoreline.  Their property is very close to the lake. It was built in 1925 and, as you can see in the before picture, there wasn’t a buffer between the house and the lake.  Bill and Sarah added plants, a couple of trees, and eliminated the walkway in front of the house.  After they did all this, they found it did not impact their view at all, and it made a great filtering system for the runoff.

Before – No Buffer                                               After – New Buffer

They also restored the buffer on the rest of their property.  Before, Bill and Sarah had a driveway down to the shoreline where they launched boats. This driveway delivered stormwater runoff and sediment into the lake.  They diverted the runoff with a water bar and let the driveway revert to a natural area and added a few plants.

Before – Driveway to Lake                               After – Restored   

Adjusting their pathways also had a positive impact on the property. Before, their paths went straight to the lake and were paved with asphalt.  This meant runoff had a straight shot to the lake with nothing to slow it down or absorb excess nutrients.  A simple fix was to make their walkways winding and cover them with materials that absorb water like mulch and crushed stone. Having a path defined where they walked, reducing soil compaction and vegetation damage in other areas.

New Winding Mulch-Covered Path                       New Crushed Stone Pathway

Eliminating the lawn - reduced maintenance and a more natural garden. Lawns can be difficult to maintain in Maine and can involve maintenance such as mowing, watering, and, in some cases, fertilizers and insecticides. Compared to natural vegetation, lawns are poor filters for nutrients such as phosphorous. Bill and Sarah decided to stop mowing and let nature restore itself.  They then added a few flowers and shrubs and created a really nice pollinator garden. Good for the lake and good for the bees.

Before                                                        New Pollinator Garden

“We love our camp even more!  We found that being lake-friendly we still have a great view, less work, plenty of room for what we do, and the camp is a whole lot nicer.”

- Bill & Sarah

What you can do

You too can help the lake by making little changes to your property over time. Learn how by signing up for a free LakeSmart evaluation today at www.kezarwatershed.org/lakesmart

 Written by Board Trustee Chris Brink. Photos contributed by landowners.

A LakeSmart testimonial from Farrington Pond

Representatives from the Kezar Lake Watershed Association visited our two properties on Farrington Pond to conduct a Lake Smart review process. Their visit proved to be highly valuable as the representatives displayed extensive knowledge and were incredibly helpful throughout the process.

They provided us with insightful suggestions for improving the management of runoff water which is crucial for maintaining the health of the pond. Additionally, they presented us with comprehensive reports on both properties, offering a thorough understanding of their current state.

Although the review was voluntary and non-binding, it significantly expanded our understanding of the watershed and it’s importance. As a result, we voluntarily implemented a small improvement that has had immense benefits for the overall well-being of the pond.

We would highly recommend this free service not only for it’s potential benefit to the watershed but also for it’s educational value to the property owner.

-Taylor Family on the pond

Photos: A small diversion berm was intalled on the property to divert runoff.

Photo: The diversion berm a year later; it is in excellent condition and effectively diverting runoff from the driveway into the woods.

Thanks to the Taylor family for this testimonial and for their stewardship.

Sign up for your free LakeSmart evaluation here.

LakeSmart improvements a year later - did they weather the storm?

Last fall our LakeSmart team hosted a hands-on shoreline improvement demonstration at a beautiful property on Upper Bay. With help from volunteers, we rebuilt several sections of the path leading down to the lake to reduce runoff and improve walkability. Check out the project in our blog article here.

One of our major jobs was installing a water bar at the top of the path to divert runoff from the house into the buffer. A year later, we revisited the property to see how the water bar held up.

Keep reading for photos of the installation and to see what the water bar looks like now.

After selecting a log from the property, it was carefully set into position at the top of the path.

Colin Holme, our landscaping expert for the day (and LEA Director), packs mulch against the log to create a firm swale that will divert runoff into the forested buffer.

The final result. Small water bars (often without a log) are commonly seen on hiking trails.

Above, you can see the water bar moments after installation. But how did it hold up over a year of snow, ice, and an uncharacteristically wet summer? A well-built path will hold up over time and during severe weather, and that was our aim with this project. We went out last week to find out.

One year later the water bar hasn’t shifted is doing it’s job well.

Good news! The water bar has held up through this wet summer. The log remained securely in place and effectively diverts runoff from the house into the forested buffer. The landowner has been happy with the new path and its performance over the year.

What simple improvements could be done to your property to reduce runoff? Sign up for a LakeSmart evaluation and we'll provide suggestions to make your property lake-friendly and more resilient.