Sebec Lake mapping project underway

Cloudy skies, cool temperatures and rough water did not deter the Sebec Lake Invasive Plant Patrol from starting the 2016 mapping season this past weekend. “It turns out those cloudy skies are perfect for viewing under the surface”, said Brian Krause, team member who teaches at the Foxcroft Academy. “There’s far less glare and the equipment we use performs well even in rough water.”

Photo courtesy of Sebec Lake Association

MAPPING SEBEC LAKE — Brian Krause using the trunk scope to identify plant life in Newell Cove on Sebec Lake last week. Krause noted that “ it was easy to maneuver around and visibility of the lake bottom was outstanding!”

The team picked up in Newell Cove, where they initiated the mapping/monitoring effort last summer. After evaluating the 2015 sessions, the team is evolving their methods to better meet the specific conditions of Sebec Lake.

“We tried something a bit different this session, putting the observer in the water, using the trunk scope walking along the shore out to about five feet deep.” said Rudy Davis, project director. “This person is shadowed by a recorder in a boat who makes a record of where vegetation is seen, what type, density, etc.”

Davis explained that this system worked very efficiently. A two person team was able to cover nearly a half mile of shoreline in about one hour. “We’ve observed that Sebec Lake, despite being one of the clearest, cleanest and deepest lakes in Maine, typically sees little or no vegetation beyond six to seven feet of water depth. That makes it quite walkable.”

The results of the latest session continue to be excellent. “No invasives found,”Krause said. “Just healthy, native vegetation common to Maine lakes.” Krause teaches in the science department at Foxcroft Academy and he is getting students interested in the environment involved in the project.

The team currently has five more mapping sessions scheduled for this summer. “We have ambitious goals,” Davis said. Anyone interested in joining the effort can contact Davis or Krause via the Sebec Lake Association website at www.sebeclakeassoc.com.