Lake Smart
LakeSmart is an education and outreach program that rewards lakefront homeowners who manage their land to protect water quality. The program is free, non-regulatory, and voluntary. Participating homeowners receive individualized suggestions for keeping pollutants from stormwater out of lake waters.
A trained surveyor from the Branch Lake Association will assess your lakeside property, checking for erosion around structures, in the yard, and along the lake. Properties that protect the lake and meet LakeSmart standards earn the coveted
LakeSmart Award, consisting of two distinctive signs that can be posted at the waterfront and driveway. The signs identify the homes of good stewards and show everyone what lake-friendly living looks like.
Property owners not yet meeting the
LakeSmart standards receive recommendations for what they can do to reduce erosion and protect their lake. Whether it’s installing a dripline trench around a structure, reducing lawn size and maintenance, adding more plants to a shoreline buffer, or covering bare areas of soil with erosion-control mulch, there is always something landowners can do to reduce their impact on the lakes.
Learn more about Lake Smart at the Maine Lakes program page,
found here.