Lake*A*Syst - Recreation On and Around the Lake

Why Should I Be Concerned?

One of the biggest reasons why people enjoy lakes is because of their recreational value.  Whether it is swimming, fishing, boating, skiing, ice fishing, or snowmobiling, lakes provide many different recreational possibilities. When most of us go out to recreate on lakes, we rarely consider the potential impacts of our activities on lake water quality. Possible impacts include increasing the nutrient content of the lake, spilling petroleum-based product and adding to the heavy metal concentrations in wildlife. We need to consider all the possible ways that we could impact lake water quality and evaluate ways to reduce our influence.

Ways we can adversely impact lake water quality include:

Petroleum based products
Gasoline and oil from

• boating activities;
• ice-fishing augers;
• leaks from snowmobiles;
• lawn mowers, trimmers or similar devices;
• kerosene leaks from heaters in ice fishing shacks; or
• ppilling fuel from camp stoves.

Invasive plants
Carrying invasive plants or other nuisance organisms from one lake to the next via boat, motor, propeller or fishing lures

Nutrient enrichment to the lake
Soil erosion from

• shoreline hiking trails;
• mountain biking or motorcycle riding along lake shores;
• trampling buffer vegetation and slumping of soil along the bank; or
• lake access for swimming and fishing

Heavy metal and toxic contamination
MTBE entry into lakes from

• spilled petroleum sources; or
• increased lead concentration in wildlife from fishing weights.

Ways to Reduce Your Potential Impact

All these sources of contamination can be avoided with forethought. Making sure that our actions will not impact water quality is essential.

• Avoid transferring fuel from a storage container to a boat, snowmobile, auger or lawnmower, in or near the water. A small amount of petroleum can contaminate thousands of gallons of water. Store gasoline-powered tools and recreational equipment well away from the water incase of accidental leaks.
• Practicing low impact camping and recreation on lakes is important. Think about where you step. You may want to get in a specific place to cast your fishing lure in that perfect spot, but please be mindful of what plants are growing in your path. We have seen many cases of increased erosion because buffer plant vegetation has been trampled. Please use existing paths. Maintenance of developed trails along your lakeshore is important.  No mountain biking should be allowed on trails next to the water. This will help reduce soil erosion and nutrient loading to lakes.
• One of the most important ways to keep nuisance weeds or other organisms from being moved from one lake to the next is to clean off your boat motor, propeller and fishing gear when you leave a body of water. This will reduce the potential spread of dangerous plants like Eurasian Watermilfoil.
• Invasive species can degrade water quality and wildlife habitat by outcompeting valued native species and by blocking light needed by underwater plants. Today it is illegal in Maine to transport, sell, propagate or introduce ANY of the following 11 aquatic plant species because they are invasive to Maine waters:
  • Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
  • Variable-leaf Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum)
  • Parrot Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
  • Water Chestnut (Trapa natans)
  • Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)
  • Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
  • European Naiad (Najas minor)
  • Brazilian Elodea (Egeria densa)
  • Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae)
  • Yellow Floating Heart (Nymphoides peltata)
• To learn more about these invasive plants contact the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program: P.O. Box 445, Turner, Maine 04282. Phone 207-225-2070 or visit the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program website.
• Empty your bait bucket on land; never release live bait into a waterbody. Make sure no shellfish have attached themselves to your boat when you move from lake to lake.
• Retrieve Fishing Line and Litter!  Litter like broken fishing line, plastic bags and soda carriers can be dangerous to wildlife. These materials can get wrapped around their body or ingested into their stomach. Monofilament fishing line is especially dangerous. Many birds and other wildlife die every year from being wrapped like a mummy in this non-biodegradable fishing line or from ingesting too much plastic. If your line breaks while fishing, make an extra effort to recapture it. Litter can degrade water quality and it is unsightly too.  Bring home all that you take with you on your outing, including the trash. If you see some foreign materials floating in the water, net them along with your fish.

Recreational Assessment

Fill out the following self-assessment to see how your recreational habits measure up!  If you score in the low risk category, you’re making excellent recreational choices that help to protect water quality.  Congratulations!  Please make an extra effort to correct any activities that score a moderate or high risk as you may be contributing contaminants to the lake.

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• Camp Road Maintenance
• Household Wastewater
• Landscape and Vegetated Buffers
• Lawn Care

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