8334-R3_ML&P_LSLA_2023_SummerNewsletter_Web

/ Shoreline and Beyond Around My Lake?

Assembled by Pam Wilkinson

● Only light areas that needs to be lit and when needed, ● Make lights no brighter than necessary, choose ‘warmer’ lamps for outdoors (<3,000 k) ● Position lights so light illuminates downward only It’s now possible to purchase outdoor flood lights with motion sensors built into the light. You don’t need to buy new fixtures to take advantage of motion-sensing technology. Let’s try to be light friendly and utilize the newer technology of lights that do not cause glare and point the lights, so they are not intrusive to your abutting neighbors, those who live on islands or those across the lake. Turn off lights when going to bed to mitigate impact to the view of the night sky and prevent disruption to the habitat of our nocturnal creatures who prefer the dark. Wake Boat Concerns Wake Boats-LSLA promotes the usage of all types of boats. We all have seen the pretty wake boats going very slow. There is no doubt that this is fun. It doesn’t come without impact to the shoreline, erosion of islands and the scouring of the bottom of the lake. We welcome wake boat usage, but we ask that this is done in the middle of the lake. LSLA produced a Lake Friendly Informational Brochure with a map suggesting the best spots to go to in our lake to mitigate negative impacts. Visit our website littlesebagolake.com for an electronic copy. Concerns in our lake is that operation near the shoreline rips up the bottom of the lake fragmenting invasive milfoil and spreading it to other areas of the lake. The waves overlapping shorelines and island shores destroy nesting sites, fish spawning habitats, damage to docks and adds nutrients to the lake by washing the soil into the lake. There is a proposal presented to the State of Maine: Legislative Action-LD 693 An Act to Protect Inland Water Quality, Shorelines, Wildlife and Public Safety by Prohibiting Operation of a Wake Boat to Create an Enhanced Wake Close to Shore or in Shallow Water.

This bill prohibits creating an enhanced wake with a boat that is equipped with wake-enhancing equipment within 500 feet of the shoreline or in waters less than 20 feet of water. It is not the intention of LSLA to probit the use of wake boats but it is our job to inform and educate our lake community on what is happening and hopefully make a positive impact on the usage.

25