Which lake is biggest, deepest: Sebago or Moosehead?

DEAR SUN SPOTS: My wife and I have been arguing about which lake is the biggest in Maine, Sebago or Moosehead. Which one is deeper? Can you settle this argument? — M.G., Sabattus.

ANSWER: Sebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake in Maine. The lake is 316 feet deep at its deepest point, covers about 45 square miles in surface area, has a length of 12 miles and a shoreline length of 105 miles. It is located in Cumberland County.

Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in Maine. It is approximately 40 by 10 miles, with an area of 120 square miles, and over 400 miles of shoreline. It has an average depth of 55 feet with a maximum depth of 246 feet. It is located in Piscataquis County.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife can answer your questions about Maine’s lakes. They continuously conduct surveys and research on Maine’s wildlife and geography and have many resources available. You can call them with additional questions at 207-287-8000; mail them at 41 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0041; or visit their contact page at www.maine.gov/ifw/aboutus/contactus.htm.

Beth Dimond Comeau, public affairs coordinator for Natural Resources Council of Maine in Augusta, 207-403-0106, also noted that Moosehead is the larger of the two lakes. She may be able to answer additional questions about Maine’s natural resources.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Why was a left-turn lane created on Main Street heading into town at the corner of Strawberry Avenue in Lewiston? There is no place to turn left, except into a driveway. Thanks for all your good work. — Puzzled in Lewiston.

ANSWER: Sun Spots spoke to the Engineering Division, Lewiston, at 207-513-3003. That left-turn lane was part of a Maine Department of Transportation project. The left-turn lane that you mention is across from the left-turn lane for Strawberry Avenue. It was needed to act as a protective buffer from oncoming traffic. Otherwise an island would have been needed and different traffic striping.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Recently, you had a teacher at the Auburn Middle School lament how quickly students go through pens and pencils. I believe they were looking for donations. During the year Geiger donates tens of thousands of pens, pencils and other items to the ShareCenter in Auburn and teachers only have to visit and take what they need. It is well run and many area businesses make similar donations for the good of all area schools. — Lewiston reader.

RESPONSE: Sun Spots has included information about the ShareCenter in previous columns. The ShareCenter is a membership program with several locations, including one in Auburn at 15 Andrew Drive. It is open from 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m.-noon on the first and second Saturday of each month. The office can be reached at 207-333-6671 or sharecenter@auburnschl.edu.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: After every snow storm a neighbor pushes all his snow from his driveway into the road, at times nearly blocking one lane of the road. I’ve received conflicting information about whether this practice is illegal or not. I am at wit’s end, Lisbon.

ANSWER: Sun Spots finds that a source for legal questions like this is to talk to someone in Maine’s or city government’s legal department. Anyone can read Maine law 29A MRSA 2396 that “prohibits the pushing of snow into the public way. A person may not place and allow to remain on a public way snow or slush that has not accumulated there naturally.” This legal information was provided by legal counsel for Maine Municipal Association at maine.gov. Sun Spots also spoke to staff at the Lisbon Police Department who is aware of the local ordinance that prohibits moving snow into a public way. They respond to these types of complaints accordingly.

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