This summer we managed to monitor 4 sites on a consistent basis for the whole summer beginning in June and continuing until October. We continue to send our data and samples for study to the Lakes Lay Monitoring Program at UNH. In addition we will be sending our data to the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program operated by the State of Maine. Chuck Hodsdon was recertified at a workshop in early May by the VLMP in Maine. In addition we had a team from the Freshwater Biology Group from UNH visiting Great East Lake this summer as we have done for many years to collect more extensive data on the condition of the lake.

Because of the large volume of rain in the early summer we had large volumes of debris and silt washed into the lake. Any sort of buffer that landowners can provide to prevent this erosion of foreign matter of any kind into the lake will help us to continue to keep a pristine lake that we all can enjoy. If you have serious erosion issues on your property we have a group called the Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance that is providing technical assistance and a crew to help people who own lakefront property to change their landscape to help prevent this damaging erosion.

If you burn flares or fireworks remember that the debris from these should be kept out of the water. They burn phosphorus which turns into phosphate which is the single most important nutrient in promoting the growth of Algae in the Lake.