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Monitoring and Assessment of Lakes

• Data. Lake water quality information, including raw data and annual summaries, are provided directly to our volunteers and the public
• Lake Classification
• Materials. Overview, field methods, data analysis methods, and descriptions of standard operating procedures.
• Special Studies and Research

Mission Statement: Lake Assessment Section

To promote the protection of Maine's lakes through research, collection and management of sound scientific data, identification of threats to lake ecosystems and dissemination of information to those concerned with lake water quality.

Lakes are an integral part of our landscape, covering more than 1,004,285 acres! More than that, they provide immensely valuable habitat for wildlife and recreation for people. Many communities are defined in large measure by their lakes, and the quality of these resources are vital to local and state economies. People relate to lakes and lake quality in a way that is profoundly important to them and their families.

The Maine DEP (along with DOC- LURC in unorganized territories) is charged with protecting the quality of Maine lakes and in many cases regulating human activities that affect these qualities. By Maine statute, our lakes are supposed to be free of nuisance algae blooms and have stable or improving state in terms of water quality.

Central to this is maintenance of natural habitat integrity and the water quality on which it relies. In order for us to do our mission, we need assess not only what the current state of a lake is, but what its sensitivity to change might be.

The “Lakes Assessment" Program at DEP includes Monitoring, (which get us the basic information we need), Assessment (which interprets the information) and Education, (which gets information out to the public). Monitoring includes both agency and volunteer programs. Assessment includes water quality diagnostic work and special studies and research. We share data and consult with other agencies, university programs, and the public. Lake water quality Restoration has largely shifted from in-lake manipulation such as aluminum treatments to Watershed Management focus to prevent and reverse water quality declines.

There are also other important DEP programs which directly affect lakes, such as Shoreland Zoning, Watershed Management, Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA) permitting and enforcement, and the Invasive Species Program.

Off-site Links

• Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program. (off-site)
• PEARL.   Public Education Access to Resources on Lakes in Maine (off-site)

Related pages

• Invasive Aquatic Plants
• Reports of Algal Blooms
• Surface Water Ambient Toxics Monitoring Program (SWAT). Information about the nature, scope and severity of toxic contamination in the surface waters and fisheries of the State.