{"id":1151,"date":"2024-01-28T21:05:46","date_gmt":"2024-01-28T21:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/androscogginlake.org\/alic\/?page_id=1151"},"modified":"2024-09-29T16:43:35","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T20:43:35","slug":"water-quality","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/androscogginlake.org\/alic\/lake-health\/water-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"Algal Blooms and Water Quality"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Algal Blooms and Water Quality<\/h2>\n

Good water quality means, primarily, clear water that lets us see far down into the depths, and water that is not polluted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that pollution from phosphorus in water is the #1 threat to water quality worldwide, causing algal blooms that are harmful to people and wildlife alike.<\/p>\n

During the late summer of each of the last few years, Androscoggin Lake experienced significant algal blooms that impaired recreational use for prolonged periods. Limiting phosphorus runoff into the lake is a key component of improving water quality.<\/p>\n

Indicators and Impact<\/h5>\n

To measure the lake\u2019s water quality, we track key indicators such as clarity, how much oxygen is available to fish and other organisms, temperature, and phosphorous levels.<\/p>\n

A decline in water quality can harm fish, plants, and other aquatic life. It can also make swimming, boating, and other activities unsafe or unpleasant.<\/p>\n

A clean lake is a valuable asset to the community and to lake users. University of Maine studies have shown that property values drop with decreased water quality.<\/p>\n

What ALIC Is Doing<\/h5>\n

Evaluating water quality, identifying sources of phosphorous runoff, and addressing issues as soon as they arise are critical for the health of our lake. Here are some of the steps we are taking to address water quality.<\/p>\n

ALIC actively supports a LakeSmart<\/a> program on our lake with volunteers to help assist property owners in evaluating things that they can do to reduce phosphorus laden water runoff into the lake.\u00a0 If you are a property owner on Androscoggin Lake, contact us<\/a> to learn more about what you can do to become better stewards of the lake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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With our partner, the 30 Mile River Watershed Association<\/a> (30 Mile), our water testing team performs quality testing on Androscoggin Lake throughout the summer and early fall. A snapshot of water quality statistics is a regular feature of ALIC\u2019s summer newsletters.<\/p>\n

If you are concerned about whether the water is safe for swimming or pets, review the information on Maine\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection\u2019s webpage, Algal Blooms in Maine Lakes<\/a>.  \"When in doubt, stay out<\/strong>\", especially if you cannot see your feet in 4 to 5 feet of water.<\/p>\n

Watch for email updates from ALIC. We will continue to contact subscribers to our email list whenever water clarity levels drop dangerously low.  If you are not already on our mailing list, subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additional comprehensive information is provided on 30 Mile\u2019s webpage for water quality monitoring on Androscoggin Lake<\/a>. 30 Mile updates this page throughout the monitoring season. This page also includes links to their valuable and comprehensive year-end Water Quality Report<\/em>s for our lake.<\/p>\n

To support the goal of identifying sources of phosphorus runoff into the lake, ALIC worked with 30 Mile to conduct a comprehensive watershed survey<\/a> in 2022. The survey identified sources of soil erosion and polluted runoff that pose risks to water quality and recommended solutions to correct the problems identified. The completion of the survey has also allowed 30 Mile to develop a comprehensive Watershed Protection Plan for the lake, obtain substantial government grant money to help address many of problems identified in the survey, and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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What You Can Do<\/h5>\n