Erosion, sentiment, contaminants in a Maine lake are bad business.

Not just because erosion hurts the value of your Maine real estate. The bigger reason is it kills the resource. The natural balance of a Maine lake with oxygen levels affected if the temperature goes up, if the vegetation springs in to high gear due to phosphorous, silt distubring the natural mix. Or the dreaded milfoil invasive plant infestation that had hit Southern Maine lakes.

Camp roads if not crowned properly, if you designed with thought of the tilt and the watershed that dumps in to that lake is a bad thing. Usually the Maine lake association has too few precious funds. Not everyone around that Maine lake digs deep in to their pocket to help fund new culverts, add gravel or conservation measures desperately needing to be implemented. And after a Maine soil and water district helps secure funding for lake erosion control measures, the work done with rocked in ditches in steep run off areas need to be maintained. To work as they were designed by the Maine DEP engineers. Or they stop working and the Maine lake slides back to a loosing war against man made roads that are not adequate, actually hurting the lake.

Education about what an improperly installed culvert does to a Maine lake is key. And watching a lake perimeter around camp and home owners properties when it is raining can open your eyes wide in Maine. Sometimes, recycled pavement can be used on step hills or places where run off containment is the hardest because it compacts. Stays in place well and does not deterioate easily.

The gravel used on Maine lake camp roads matters too. If over two inches in size, then the ride of the campers is affected. But if not enough “fines”, then wash out, mud can form so any work done does its job but has a shorter life. Needs replacement again quicker and taps in to never enough funds from the Maine lake association in most cases. Maine lake water erosion, quality is paramount when you live in a state like Maine, Vacationland.

Protecting a Maine lake. Passing it along to your kids in better shape than you got it. Being a good ME lake steward.

That is something true Mainers work hard to make sure their lakes are kept healthy, happy. But still balancing man being on board to share the resource with the wildlife, fish, nature. The pressures of McMansions and desire to clear vegetation and trees to open up the lot, increase the view is a strong one with Maine real estate waterfront buyers. When planting more trees, the right vegetation along the shoreline is key to make sure only water ends up in the lake from run off, erosion.

Battling erosion, sediment, too much weed and feed, run off on step roadways around Maine lakes with plunge pools to slow the water are all part of the education we continually have at Drews Lake. I am president of the Drews Lake Owners Assocation and like to think our workshops, annual meetings all have the common theme of keep the junk out of the lake. To think like a fish and how would you like swimming, living, drinking water less than clean or on the decline. You would not.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com