OTISFIELD – “LakeSmart Landscaping for the Lake Protection Program” was held at the Seeds of Peace Camp on July 22 to learn how to landscape a home environmentally so pollution and runoff are reduced.

Twenty-eight lake residents attended the free workshop from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The presenters were Bill LaFlamme, Department of Environmental Protection, director of the LakeSmart Program, and Scott Williams and Roberta Hill, Lake and Watershed Resource Management Associates.

Pleasant Lake and Parker Pond Association, LakeSmart, Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program and the Casco Conservation Committee sponsored the program. The presentations included slides and commentary.

LaFlamme opened the program with an overview of the LakeSmart Awards Program. The intent is to improve or maintain property to protect water quality.

The award is presented after evaluation of commonly accepted best management practices. In most cases, award properties should exceed the minimum shoreland zoning or local regulations.

The evaluation includes LakeSmart Award status in driveway and parking areas; structures and septic systems; yard, recreation areas and pathways; shorefront and beach areas (for shorefront properties only); and undeveloped land.

Participants were bused to “the Cape” on Thompson Lake, an example of LakeSmart excellence. Ethel Turner, resort owner, has created properly designed pathways to prevent potential erosion and minimize the amount of pollutants flowing into the lake.

She has planted native plants and shrubs that protect the environment and provide a colorful foreground to the lake’s beauty. Turner was presented a LakeSmart Award plaque for her best management practices.

Williams presented information regarding water quality problems and solutions, pointing out that lake quality can become degraded if excess runoff from land enters the water. It is called non-point source pollution. Pollutants include soil (silt), nutrients, gas, oil and other chemicals.

Williams offered methods in which pollution can be prevented. Landscape and vegetated buffers such as trees, shrubs and ground cover, and duff layers are natural buffers. Since 50 percent of Maine drains into a lake, it is important to protect lakes from phosphorus pollution.

One pound of phosphorus can produce 10,000 pounds of lake weeds and algae. Most soils in Maine have enough phosphorus to keep a lawn healthy. An application of lime will make that phosphorus more available to lawns.

Hill discussed the implementation of buffer design and inspiration. She demonstrated how plants and shrubs can prevent lake pollution, and the importance of vegetation buffers, such as rain gardens, erosion control mix, pathways of pine needles, bark mulch and wood chips.

The culmination of the session was a property plan design exercise in which all participants were invited to submit a one-page landscaping design of their own lake property. They received helpful hints by the workshop facilitators and a five-page property evaluation form.

A LakeSmart evaluator will visit their property and provide suggestions if desired. After the meeting, LaFlamme evaluated Peter and Marygrace Barber’s property and gave them a LakeSmart award.

A display of household products was prepared by Pixie Williams, indicating phosphorus content. Next to each harmful product was a comparable product that contained no phosphorus and would not harm the lake. Jacqueline Wilson, wife of Seeds of Peace Director Timothy Wilson, provided lunch.