Announcements

2026-01-21

Mid Winter Greetings from the Sebec Lake Association

Dear members and friends of the Sebec Lake Association:

I want to give you some updates about the work the SLA is doing here in 2026!

Editor Drew Daubenspeck is working on the 2026 edition of the Sebec Lake Current. This is our annual publication packed with information about Sebec Lake and its environs. We appreciate the generous support of many local merchants who advertise in the Current as they help to make it possible for us to print and distribute it. We’ll continue to mail a copy to every address we have on file for the Association; once it goes to press we’ll also email a color copy to you to share. We are always seeking submissions of articles for the Current. Some of the best ones tell the story about families with multi-generational experiences on the lake—what draws you and your family back year after year? What are some of your traditions at the lake? We invite you to share your stories with us! Just email them to me at this address and I’ll get them to Drew!

Vice President Hugh Johnston has been very busy over the winter leading the SLA’s work on water quality. In partnership with the Piscataquis County Soil and Water District we’ve planned a Buffer Planting Workshop for August 29th. More information will be coming out over the next few months on this. Our goal is to help camp owners to learn about native plants that can be planted near the shoreline that won’t obstruct views and will help to minimize erosion and water run-off into the lake. Save that date!

We are exploring starting a voluntary courtesy boat inspection program at the Greeley’s Landing boat launch. As Maine finds invasive plant species affecting increasing numbers of its lakes and ponds, and the affected lakes get closer to us, we fear it is only a matter of time until someone unknowingly brings a remnant of an invasive plant on their boat and introduces it to our lake. Across the state lake associations have started offering courtesy boat inspections before folks launch their vessels—looking for plants while offering education about invasive species that can help us all be more vigilant and keep Sebec Lake on the list of lakes with no known invasives. We are working with Lake Stewards of Maine (www.lakestewardsofmaine.org) to offer another training at Sebec Lake this summer on monitoring water quality. Last year’s

training helped several members become certified on using Secchi discs to monitor lake water clarity and gave us baseline data on things such as dissolved oxygen content (critical for fish) and phosphorus levels. We’ll keep you updated on this training as we learn more. We will be monitoring dissolved oxygen and phosphorous levels again this year with a plan to be able to track these barometers of lake health over time! Click on SLA Scorecard to see the first version of a scorecard developed by the DEP for our lake.

Lake Stewards of Maine is a great partner to our association and sends weekly emails about Maine’s lakes. You can sign up on their website. They also host an annual conference about Maine lakes which is being held this year at the University of Maine on June 12th. We encourage everyone to consider attending that!

Speaking of Annual Meetings: We have confirmed that our Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, July 11th, 2026 at Central Hall Commons in Dover-Foxcroft. Mark your calendars and plan to attend! We promise to have good information about the lake (we learned from last year—keep it briefer!) as we elect new members and officers for the Board.

The Sebec Lake Association is the premier group advocating for and educating about lake health. We have one of the healthiest lakes in Maine. If we lose that we all lose. There are many ways you can help us with this work:

1. Get involved. If you want to join our efforts to map the lake’s plants to monitor for possible invasive plants: let me know. We’ll get you connected. A network of folks from around the lake can be very effective at early detection and at knowing what we have now!

2. Come to our Annual Meeting (and consider the LSM meeting in Orono). Learn more about Sebec Lake and what makes it special.

3. Share your stories with us for the Current!

4. Consider joining the Board of Directors. We have at least two positions opening this summer for members to help shape the direction of the association by service on the Board.

5. Help us increase our membership—for the dues support the work of the association, and members commit to the work of the Association. You do NOT need to be a property owner on the lake to join—you just have to have a passion for the beauty and health of Sebec Lake. The dues are only twenty dollars a year. There are many ways you can do this: a. Renew your own membership on our website www.sebeclakeassoc.org. If you use PayPal they skim $1.19 off each renewal—so consider sending a check or offering a bit more so that the Association is kept whole. The site allows you to renew your membership as well as make donations to the Association, order decals, or submit ads for The Current.

6. Encourage your camp neighbors who are not members of the Association to join. We offer SLA stickers which you can proudly display on your camp door and vehicles—if you have neighbors who are not members help us to bring them into the fold!

7. Three years ago we started insisting that anyone who spent the night at our camp had to join the association. It is a low bar for them to meet; it allows us to continue to remain in contact with them and helps us work to keep the lake healthy for generations to come! Several board members have now adopted this practice—join us with this at your place!

Our Board of Directors works for you. Please share your thoughts with us—we welcome your feedback and involvement with our work! You can contact us via email by clicking on Board on the green banner on the SLA website.

Dave McDermott, SLA President 

2026-01-21

The SLA annual meeting will be held on Saturday, July 11th, 2026 at Central Hall Commons in Dover-Foxcroft. 

Mark your calendars and plan to attend! We promise to have good information about the lake (we learned from last year—keep it briefer!)  We will be electing some new officers for the Board.