LakeSmart is about taking simple actions as property owners to protect Chebacco Lake and the ponds. There are many best practices that you can put in place that will “slow the flow” and give rainwater time to soak into the ground before reaching the lake or ponds. Suggestions include:

• Increase native plants on your property.
• Reduce lawn area.
• Divert stormwater to natural areas (away from the lake).
• Cover pathways with erosion control mulch.
• Stabilize the shoreline with native plants.
• Pump the septic system regularly.

• Baby your septic system – Inspect and pump regularly. Great for the watershed and wallet! Get smarter with this 2-paper full of tips for maintaining a lake-smart and wallet-smart system.
• Add buffers -- Help terrestrial plants filter your water, remove nutrients, and reduce erosion. Start with this 5m video case study -- just one of a hundred types of buffers!
• Read the LakeSmart poster and tips -- Maine is widely recognized as having the most advanced LakeSmart program in the Northeast. Their poster is a great place to begin a LakeSmart journey!

From Mass DEP:

• Lawns and Landscapes in Your Watershed – excellent advice about lawn care and the environment from Mass Department of Environmental Protection!

From the state of Maine:

Maine does a fabulous job protecting its lakes and ponds by educating and supporting their lake residents and lake associations. Here are some great resources for property owners:

• LakeSmart tips poster and overview – two pages; a great place to begin!
• FAQs & homeowner tips – get inspiration from the LakeSmart program in the Maine Lakes Region.
• Videos from Maine Lakes – including short videos on installing vegetative buffers, rain gardens, infiltration steps, and more.
• Lakes Like Less Lawn – 12-page primer loaded with planting suggestions.

COMING SOON:

LakeSmart landscaping tips from the archived newsletter articles of our own Robyn Kanter. Until then, see her recent article, No Mow May, Low Mow Spring, in the May 2024 issue.

The Shoreline Buffer Zone by Robyn Kanter

If you have ever walked along the ponds in Chebacco Woods, you may have noticed the grouping of plant material that separates the trails from the ponds. This shoreline vegetation along the bank is an example of a natural BUFFER ZONE. This area is important in that in...