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Are Maine Lakes in Crisis? By Maggie Shannon Not yet, but the trends aren’t good A growing number of Maine lakes exhibit declining water quality. In 2004, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP) reported 26 great ponds did not meet Clean Water Act standards and were declared ‘impaired.’ Three years later, DEP’s list of ‘impaired’ lakes had grown to 32, an increase of 23%. In addition to impaired waters, DEP also keeps track of lakes which it predicts will reach the impairment stage in 30 years, calling them ‘lakes at risk from development in their watersheds.’ At present, the ‘at risk’ list includes 239 lakes, or fully 10% of all great ponds. Great ponds now generate spending of three and a half billion dollars ($3,500,000,000) each year; they also support 52,000 jobs which create $1,800,000,000 income for Mainers. This economic productivity dwarfs most other Maine industries. If these 239 at risk lakes were to progress as predicted to impairment, Maine would experience large cultural, ecological, aesthetic and recreational losses. Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt The process of change from healthy waters to impaired is both subtle and insidious, in that it advances slowly step by step until it nears the tipping point where sudden dramatic shifts appear as if “overnight.” Recovery for these waters is arduous, protracted and expensive, if it’s possible at all. We humans aren’t good at recognizing this type of problem since we’re hard wired to respond to sudden threats, not slowly encroaching dangers. Nevertheless, the time has come to declare that widespread water quality declines are here and now. Naming the problem opens our eyes to the harbingers of harm in time to slow or avert downward trends. Yes, we can The environment is where we live and development is what we do to maintain ourselves. Balancing the two is the global challenge of our time. Addressing sustainability one lake at a time is something all of us can do.
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