THE ALIC NEWS. President s Message by Lincoln Hayes, ALIC President. Annual Meeting. Summer Inside this issue:

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1 THE ALIC NEWS Join or Renew Today Summer 2016 President s Message by Lincoln Hayes, ALIC President We love our lake and never want to see it turn green from an algal bloom or to be choked with an invasive plant infestation. ALIC s mission is to preserve and protect Androscoggin Lake. We are happy to report that we made it through another season last summer without finding any invasive plant infestations and that water quality remains good. However, the threat to our lake remains significant with invasive milfoil in the nearby Belgrade lakes and with more people coming from other lakes to launch their boats on Lake Androscoggin. We continue to partner with the 30 Mile River Watershed Association to provide Courtesy Boat Inspectors (CBIs) as a first line of defense against invasive aquatic plants by educating boaters and by catching hitchhiking plant fragments. We have increased our CBI budget from $3000 to $5280 for the summer of Our wish would also be to have a few Androscoggin Lake CBI volunteers. ALIC continues to develop the Eyes on the Water program, whereby volunteers around the lake monitor for changes to the aquatic plant population in their assigned sections. We continue to test our water quality about every two weeks from June to October. Our water quality is negatively impacted by developed land along the shore from water draining from roofs, driveways, roads, camp roads, and lawns. Lake Shore Drive, in Leeds, was remediated this past summer. Any resident can take advantage of the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program, run by the 30 Mile River Watershed Association, to combat erosion by buffer plantings or building rain gardens, infiltration or diversion structures. In terms of pollution, we might be the only lake in the nation to have a polluted river overflowing its pollution control device (aka the Dead River dam) to keep out the bad water. The water level in our lake can fluctuate by as much as 12 feet. As the Androscoggin River water level drops, a small group of volunteers spend considerable time and effort removing debris, including whole trees, which block the grates on the dam and prevent water from flowing back into the Androscoggin River. If anyone with a strong back is interested in helping with this continuing effort, Bill Messer at bmesserwc@ yahoo.com. We would like to thank Debbie Hite for her more than a decade of service to our organization. She has certainly made a difference, and we will miss her tremendously. We are developing an internship program to help us moving forward. We encourage you to get involved by volunteering in any capacity. Here s to another great summer on Androscoggin Lake. Inside this issue: Lake Memories 2 Contact ALIC 2 VLMP Conference 3 Tackle Exchange 3 Events Calendar 3 Shoreline Buffers 4 Shoreline Plants 4 Eyes on the Water 5 Water Quality 6 Bass Tournaments 6 Lawns 7 Renew Your Membership Annual Meeting Saturday, August 13th Yacht Club 8:30am potluck 9:00am business 10:00am speaker 7 Facebook 7 Everyone is encouraged to attend. Mark your calendars!

2 Page 2 THE ALIC NEWS Androscoggin Lake Memories to Last Three Life Times by Bill Messer The story which follows is a fishing story. It is a strange, unusual fishing story, but unlike most fishing stories this one really happened! It was a chilly, overcast Thursday morning late in August of the year My twin 6 year old granddaughters, Olivia and Ava, were to leave our lakeside home (we affectionately call it Loon Song) later that day after spending a wonderful 10 days with Papa and Nana. The girls "got hooked on fishing" earlier in the week and wanted to try their luck one more time before heading back home. Time was tight so I motored a short distance from our dock at Davis Point over towards Hog's Island. I decided to drop anchor about 300 feet from the furthest southern point of the island. The action for white perch was usually good in this area, and I wanted the girls to have an exciting last few hours of fishing before the end of the season. Olivia was at the bow of my 17 foot Deep V aluminum boat, while Ava was at the stern near me. We were using night crawlers, fishing a few feet from the bottom hoping to hit on a good school of White Perch. The action for the first 30 minutes was nonexistent. However a large school of nice size white perch finally came within sight of my fish finder. Bam! Olivia starting screaming first, then soon followed Ava. I abandoned any hope of my catching fish as I could barely keep up with removing the fish from the girl s poles and helping them to re-bait. Ava had no problem with the "slimy, yucky, crawly thing", but Olivia was too much a lady to get her hands dirty with the "disgusting worms". After about 20 minutes we had nearly filled the fish buckets, and my mouth was watering thinking about the fresh white perch fish fry that Nana would prepare after I cleaned the fish. Alberta made it clear to me 50 years ago that she would cook the fish, but only if I cleaned them! I told the girls that we would have to leave after each caught one more fish. While I was preparing the boat to leave, Ava caught her last fish. I told her to wait a second but to leave the fish in the water and not to pull it out until I was ready to take it from the hook. She never listened to me on this as she loves to view her catch by dangling the fish near the boat. I had my back to Ava and heard her suddenly scream. Then Olivia started to scream! When I turned, Ava was pulling back on the pole with all of her 6 year old force. I then looked up, and saw a very large osprey flying away with Ava's fish still attached to the line and her trying to hold on to the pole with dear life. Just as I was about to grab the pole she let go. The osprey flew upward about 100 feet (Continued on page 7) Androscoggin Lake Improvement Corporation ALIC PO Box 307 Wayne, ME alic_board@androscogginlake.org Board of Directors George Bardaglio Tom Barden, Treasurer Aaron Chrostowsky, Secretary Buddy Cummings Chris Cushman Lincoln Hayes, President Chris McKee Bill Messer, Vice President Michael Weiss Don Welsh

3 SUMMER 2016 Page 3 Annual Conference of the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program The Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) will be holding its Annual Conference this year on July 30th at the Great Outdoors in Turner. This is always a fun and informative event with interactive displays, presentations by Maine lake scientists, re-certification workshops for water quality monitors, a plant paddle on Pleasant Pond, and lunch. Contact Buddy Cummings at , if you are interested in carpooling to the event. Visit for more information and to register. Lead Tackle Exchange by Tom Barden In 2013, the Maine State Legislature passed LD 730, An Act to Protect Maine s Loons by Banning Lead Sinkers and Jigs. The law bans the sale and use of lead fishing sinkers one ounce or less. A ban on bare lead-headed jigs 2.5 long or less will be phased in, with a ban on sale starting September 2016 and a ban on use in September The passage of the law was prompted by findings that lead poisoning from lead sinkers and leadheaded jigs is the leading cause of death of adult loons in Maine. It is responsible for close to one third of the documented mortality over the past 25 years. For every two loons that die in Maine from natural causes like illness or disease, one loon dies from ingesting a small lead sinker or jighead. Adult loons catch fish with lead sinkers and jigs attached or they pick up lead objects while eating gravel they need from lake bottoms. Last summer, ALIC participated with Maine Audubon Society and held lead tackle exchanges in the Lake Androscoggin area. About ten pounds of lead tackle was exchanged. This would equal 160 pieces of one ounce lead tackle. ALIC exchanged in the neighborhood of 400 pieces of lead tackle because many were less than an ounce in weight. Calendar of Events June 25 July 30, 9am-1pm July 30 August 13, 8:30am Maine Lakes Conference, Unity Visit VLMP Annual Conference, The Great Outdoors, Turner Visit Annual 30 Mile River Watershed Association Paddle Trek Visit ALIC Annual Meeting, the Androscoggin Yacht Club, Wayne The potluck breakfast begins at 8:30am, followed by the business meeting at 9:00am. Visit for more information regarding summer events

4 Page 4 THE ALIC NEWS Shoreline Buffers and Mulch by Tom Barden When lake people talk about "buffers" they are usually referring to a vegetated buffer strip between human activity and the lake (pond, stream, river, etc.). This area of plants and mulch needs to be wide enough to absorb all the runoff coming from the property. A series of strips (aka "garden beds") between the house and the lake is good. A single wide buffer near the lake is acceptable. An imitation of the natural forest between the camp and the pond is ideal. Why? The best vegetated buffer has four elements: 1) The duff layer that builds up on the ground and acts like a sponge (this can be imitated by a deep layer of bark mulch). 2) Groundcovers plants that hug the soil and shield it from the impact of rain drops (rain drops can dislodge a great deal of sediment even before it becomes noticeable). 3) A shrub layer helps protect the soil and the ground covers,; it also discourages people from walking through the buffer except on designated and maintained paths. 4) The tree canopy overtops all, protecting the plants below. Rain falling on the canopy should have three layers of leaves to get through before it reaches the duff layer. Property owners have a view of the lake while maintaining an effective vegetated buffer of trees, shrubs, and undisturbed ground layer. Who needs a buffer on their property? Everyone who lives in a watershed! While we emphasize the importance of shoreline buffers those are the last line of defense. Every house that is in a watershed should have a vegetated buffer on the downhill side. Erosion and phosphorus transportation can begin at the top of the watershed and all streams lead down to the lake (or river). Shoreline Buffer Plants by Tom Barden I have been writing about planting vegetated buffer strips, but what should you plant? Native species are always a safe bet. Blueberries (always a hit!), arrow-wood, Joe-Pye-weed, juniper, winterberry (a native holly) these are some of the most common native bushes and perennials that are used. Day lilies make a good start on a buffer strip they are tough and decorative, although not native, they are part of the New England landscape! (Continued on page 5)

5 SUMMER 2016 Page 5 Shoreline Buffer Plants... (Continued from page 4) Your buffer strip can provide added pleasure if you think about it as a wildlife attractor. Flowers can be planted to bring in butterflies and hummingbirds. Some good choices of native species are Joe-Pye Weed, Bee Balm, Swamp Milkweed (not the common roadside milkweed), and the Asters. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has put out a fine pamphlet called "Gardening to Conserve Maine's Native Landscape" (available at the BRCA office). This list has both common and scientific ("Latin") names, light and moisture requirements, and height at maturity, as well as a few comments on flower colors, berries (poisonous or not), etc. There are some plants that you should avoid using because they are (or under the right conditions can be) terrestrial invasives. The New England Wildflower Society has a list of over 90 terrestrial invasive plants that they are concerned about here in the northeast. Some common nursery bushes that should be avoided are Russian Olive, Autumn Olive, the Buckthorns (Black and Glossy), Barberries, any of the Honeysuckles, and Rosa Rugosa. All of these are aggressive invaders of our woodlands and fields. Among trees to be avoided are Norway Maples and Black Locust. Eyes on the Water Needs You by Buddy Cummings The Androscoggin Lake Eyes on the Water program was successfully launched two summers ago at the Annual Meeting of the lake association (ALIC). Each program participant agrees to keep an eye on the aquatic plant population over a small section of shoreline. Over time, participants become familiar with the natives in their adopted zones. Whenever an unfamiliar plant, or possible invasive, is found, VLMP certified members of the team are readily available to assist in further identification and possible reporting. Last summer, over 30 of our neighbors participated in this program by adopting small segments of shoreline along the lake. The program only asks that folks check out their adopted segments at least once per season to become familiar with aquatic plants in their area. No previous training or experience is required. The lake association provides basic on-hands training and materials. Eyes on the Water celebration photo courtesy of Debbie Hite By the end of last summer, team members identified over 20 plants native to our lake. Luckily, we identified no invasive aquatic plants. But, given all of the infestations at nearby lakes, we need as many eyes on the water as possible to continue to keep our lake safe. Sign up to join us in this important program by contacting Buddy Cummings at

6 Page 6 THE ALIC NEWS Water Quality Report by Bill Messer As you all know, we experienced a summer of minimal rain which caused a lower than normal flow rate to and from our lake (low flushing rate). This resulted in an extended period during mid-summer where Androscoggin Lake showed a higher than normal level of fine, well dispersed organic solids and a significant reduction in normal clarity. Water clarity (a lower number is an indication for potential algae formation) dropped about 20% during this period. Phosphorus levels were slightly elevated. A few minor blooms of algae were reported, but fortunately nothing major. This condition cleared up after significant rainfall allowed increased flushing of our lake. If this had not occurred when it did, the chances for our complete lake turning green from algae would have been high. In addition to good clarity, dissolved oxygen is necessary to maintain a healthy environment for fish and normal aquatic plants. This past year, like most years, during calm warm mid summer days, the dissolved oxygen was about 40 to 50 % lower about half way down from the surface. Since Androscoggin Lake is relatively shallow (a known maximum depth of only about 40 feet) and has many rock outcroppings and an irregular shaped bottom, a moderately high wind will often mix the bottom with the top levels, resulting in uniform dissolved oxygen. While this is a major benefit to reducing oxygen stratification and maintaining a healthy fish population, this can also cause an increase in phosphorus and possibly other contaminants stirred up from the lake bottom sediment. I conducted ecoli testing at several specific locations where concern was expressed. None of the areas tested exceeded or were close to the Maine CDC maximum bacteria level for swimming use. Although a bit more involved, I plan on adding chlorophyll testing to our program as the State Chemists and I agree that chlorophyll will be a more direct indication for algae bloom potential. My plan is to determine how chlorophyll trends with the other chemical tests and visually observations. In summary, Androscoggin Lake has continued to show steady improvement over the past ten years of my testing. However, I need to remind everyone that the quality of our lake is fragile and very much still in a delicate state of balance Bass Tournaments on Androscoggin Lake 06/19 open American Bassmasters 07/17 club Mainely Boaters 07/30 club Southern Maine Anglers 08/13 club Central Maine Bassmasters 09/17 open Somerset Bassmasters 09/21 club Saco Valley Cast Masters 09/24 club Western Maine Bassmasters ALIC continues its protocol of telephoning the clubs in advance of tournament day to encourage good lake stewardship, attentive boat inspections, and respect of shorefront properties.

7 SUMMER 2016 Page 7 More on Lawns by Tom Barden Better is to plant a vegetative buffer strip between your lawn and the lake. Better still is to do away with any lawn near the lake let it all grow up! Do you come up here to get away and mow? A well mulched bed of bushes and flowers (five to eight feet wide on flat areas getting wider with steeper slopes) will beautify your property, provide privacy from boaters on the lake, and help protect the lake What a bargain! Lake Memories... (Continued from page 2) and then came crashing down into the water! Again the osprey took off, still with the fish in his talons and the fish attached to the line and the line attached to my good pole! The osprey reached about 70 feet this time and then crashed back down into the water. The osprey repeated this process three more times, with the last attempt only reaching about 20 feet. Finally, this bird gave up from exhaustion. I did my best to settle the twins down from their excitement and then motored very slowly towards the osprey. My goal was to save the osprey who was worn out and my good fishing pole (I must be frank, I am not sure which rescue held priority). When I was within 20 feet of the bird, he started to flap his wings and then flew up out of the water. But this time there was no fish, no line and no pole! As the osprey flew away, I swear I saw a smile on his face. He had his meal and my good fishing pole still lies on the bottom of Androscoggin Lake! Time to Renew Your Membership The primary purpose of our association is to maintain and improve the quality of the water in Androscoggin Lake. And, ALIC is working very hard to safeguard the lake from threats posed by both pollutants and invasive plants. But, the ability of ALIC to continue its good work relies on support from all of its members. If you have not already done so, please renew your membership in ALIC today! To renew, use the form enclosed in this newsletter, or click the Join option at Send your completed membership form, along with your check, to the following address: ALIC PO Box 307 Wayne, ME The ALIC Facebook page is an open forum. We encourage everyone with an interest in our lake to post their thoughts and photos. Find us by clicking on the Facebook icon at

8 ALIC PO Box 307 Wayne, ME 04284