LakeSmart
LakeSmart is an education and reward program that helps lakefront homeowners
manage landscapes in ways that protect water quality.
SCROLL DOWN FOR LAKESMART AWARD WINNERS
LakeSmart is an education and reward program that helps lakefront homeowners
manage landscapes in ways that protect water quality.
SCROLL DOWN FOR LAKESMART AWARD WINNERS
The program is free, non-regulatory, and voluntary.Participating homeowners receive individualized suggestions for keeping pollutants in stormwater out of our lake waters. Homeowners fill out a questionnaire and the team uses this information to go along with their observations in the 5-part evaluation.
Section 1: Driveway and Parking Areas
Section 2: Outdoor Structures
Section 3: Outdoor Areas
Section 4: Shoreline Buffer and Water Access
Section 5: Buffer Integrity
The homeowners receive a written evaluation along with suggestions to better control runoff. The LakeSmart program is free to Thompson Lake homeowners, but due to the limited number of evaluators all requests will be handled on a first come first served basis as time permits this summer. 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 the 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.
The team of Candace Nelson, Hobart Hardej, Jade Doyle, Kathy Cain, Ken Mendelson, Marcia Matuska, Paul Rausch, Jim Skinner (also YCC director) and Ron Armontrout, evaluated 27 properties in 2021 and 24 more in 2022 with 11 properties honored with the LakeSmart Award given by LEA. The team feels qualified to move forward this summer to help more lake front property owners with runoff issues.
To see how a LakeSmart advisory visit by Lakes Environmental Association (LEA) in Bridgton has followed up with an effective effort to create an erosion reducing pathway to the water for a lake property owner. An effort like this could be accomplished by asking our TLEA LakeSmart advisory team and our TLEA Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program to visit your Thompson Lake shorefront property next summer
For interested homeowners, please contact Ron Armontrout , TLEA President and LakeSmart Director at: LakeSmart@ThompsonLake.org
