Sebec Lake Association Mission

The Sebec Lake Association is an incorporated organization of property owners and friends of Sebec Lake, founded in 1971. Since then, the Association has acted to protect and preserve Sebec Lake.

These efforts may be addressed by persons responsible for the following areas:

1. Water Quality: The Association has equipment for sampling and analysis. A sustained monitoring program of clarity and annual water testing for phosphorous is well established.

2. Water Level: When the outlet to Sebec Lake was developed for hydro-electric power, the Association reached an agreement with the developer and various government and regulatory agencies, insuring a stable water level during summer months, with allowances for weather conditions. The Association continues to work with the Dam owner (now Dichotomy), the local dam operators, Maine's Department of Environmental Protection, Maine's Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to determine optimum water levels during the year.

3. Promotion, Membership and Publicity: Through our website (www.sebeclakeassoc.org) and annual newsletters sent to all property owners and members, the Association keeps property owners informed as to their responsibilities in protection and preservation as well as encouraging membership in the Association. The annual meeting is in July or August and is announced on the website.

4. Protection of Watershed: The Association was successful in removing the spruce budworm from the watershed with spraying in the early 1980s. There needs to be continued vigilance directed toward monitoring activities in the watershed.

5. Environmental Issues: The website and newsletter are a means of sharing information with property owners. Articles on invasive plant species and invasive fish species, the need for shoreline vegetation, how to limit phosphorous getting into the lake are all topics that have been addressed to help property owners "Protect and Preserve" Sebec Lake.

6. Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Liaison: Tim Obrey, regional fish biologist for the area is a resource and willing to answer questions related to the Lake.

7. Social Activities: Social activities will be planned as time permits. These may be coordinated with other local area groups. 

Bylaws

ARTICLE I - NAME The name of this organization shall be the Sebec Lake Association, Inc.

ARTICLE II - DESCRIPTION The Association shall be a nonprofit, nonpartisan incorporated organization.

ARTICLE III - PURPOSE The purpose of the Association shall be to protect and preserve Sebec Lake.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS The officers of the Association shall be president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. Directors shall include officers of the Association and at least nine and not more than thirteen additional members.

ARTICLE V - ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS There shall be a nomination committee of three directors appointed by the board of directors prior to the annual meeting who shall nominate at the annual meeting officers and directors for the ensuing year. Nominations may also be made from the floor. Before a candidate shall be voted upon by the members at the annual meeting, his or her consent to hold office, if elected, shall be obtained. A majority of those present shall elect. The officers and directors shall be elected for a term of one year and shall begin their terms following the annual meeting. Husband and wife and family members shall be allowed to serve concurrently as directors. All major areas of the lake (Dover-Foxcroft, Sebec, Willimantic, Bowerbank) shall be represented on the board provided director candidates willing to serve are available.

ARTICLE VI - DIRECTORS The directors shall supervise and manage the affairs of the Association. They may fill vacancies in their own board. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum. Directors must be current members of the Association. Directors missing three consecutive Board meetings may be removed as a Director by a majority vote of the Board. Board business may be conducted via electronic media.

ARTICLE VII - PRESIDENT The president shall preside at all meeting of the members, when present, and perform such other duties as may be required.

ARTICLE VIII - VICE PRESIDENT The vice president shall assume the duties of the president when so delegated by the president and succeed to the office of the president in the event of the president's death or resignation. The vice president shall preside at all meetings of the members and directors in the absence of the president and shall perform such other duties as may be required.

ARTICLE IX - TREASURER The treasurer shall have the custody of, and keep an accurate account of the Association's funds; submit a financial report at the annual meeting; and perform such other duties as may be required. The treasurer's reports and financial statements will be periodically audited as directed by the Board. The treasurer and president have the authority to sign checks with the authority of the board of directors.

ARTICLE X - SECRETARY The secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of members and directors, and shall give adequate advance notice to each and all interested parties.

ARTICLE XI - MEMBERS Anyone eighteen years or older can be a member of the Association upon payment of dues. All members shall have the same privileges regarding voting and holding office. Proxy voting by members or directors is not permitted. A business or organization can be a member of the Association but will have only one vote.

ARTICLE XII - DUES Any change in the annual dues for members will be proposed by the board or directors and voted upon at the next annual meeting.

ARTICLE XIII - ANNUAL MEETING There shall be an annual meeting of the members of the Association during the summer season at some convenient place in the vicinity of Sebec Lake, the date and place to be determined by the directors, such meeting to be held to elect officers and directors, and to consider any other business. Any business relating to the affairs of the Association may be acted on at the annual meeting without specifying the same in the prior notice to members, except that no change in the bylaws shall be voted on at the annual meeting unless such change was described in the prior notice. The members present at the annual meeting shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE XIV - SPECIAL MEETING The secretary shall call a special meeting of the Association when so directed by vote of the directors and give adequate advance notice of such meeting.

ARTICLE XV - BYLAWS These bylaws may be changed only at an annual meeting of members by a three-quarter vote of those voting. No change shall be made unless the meeting notice described the proposed change.

ARTICLE XVI - COMMITTEES Standing committees may be appointed by the president with the approval of the board of directors and shall continue their function until discontinued by the directors. The president shall appoint committee membership and designate the chairperson. The appointments shall be until the next annual meeting unless discontinued earlier. Special Committees may be appointed by the president who will designate the chairperson

Revised July 8, 2017 

Board

Meeting Minutes

2024 Annual Meeting Minutes

2024 Annual Meeting Minutes

FAQs

History of Sebec Lake

Long before white settlers make their appearance at the lake, it was certainly inhabited by Indians as shown by the great number of arrowheads and stone implements found along the shore. Their name for the lake was Sebecco. In the 1850s folks from the towns of Dover and Foxcroft could take a stagecoach to the Landing. Starting in 1860 there were boats offering rides on the lake. In the middle 1800s and through to the mid-1900s, there were many sawmills and log drives on the lake. In the early 1900s, cottages (known in the area as 'camps') were being built on the lake. In 1964, Dover-Foxcroft lawyer Francis Peaks, presented an 800 acre tract of land at the lake to the state to become Maine's 18th state park, to be named Peaks-Kenny. It is tucked back in a large cove (South Cove), a short distance from Greeley's Landing. How has Sebec Lake grown over the years? The first listed number of cottages at the lake was 40 before the turn of the century. Now there are over 900 residences, both seasonal and year-round.

Sebec Lake Association Geographic Location

Sebec Lake is located in central Maine, in Piscataquis County at latitude 45, longitude -69. It is about 11 miles long and about 2 miles wide at its widest point, about 6800 acres. The average water depth is 42 feet, and 155 feet at its maximum. The direct watershed area is 160 square miles (about 20 rivers and streams), with the indirect watershed being 327 square miles. The only outlet is the Sebec River; outflow is controlled by a dam used to generate hydroelectric power. Sebec Lake has four towns that border its shoreline: Dover-Foxcroft, Sebec, Bowerbank and Willimantic. Large portions of the shore line are uninhabited. There are three public boat launches around the lake: Dover-Foxcroft (Greeley's Landing), Sebec Village (Cove Road), and Bowerbank (Landing Road). The open water fishing season begins at ice-out, usually in early May, and continues until September 30. It is then illegal to fish for any species until January 1, after freeze-up.

Sebec Lake Water Quality

The water quality of Sebec Lake is above average, according to the Maine DEP.  Two primary components in monitoring lake water quality are clarity and chemistry.

SLA has volunteers who at intervals take readings of water quality and clarity.  This is done using a Secchi Disc to measure the depth from the surface of the water down to where the disc is no longer visible.   Water Chemistry is also tested by taking samples of lake water and testing for chemical components such as phosphorous and dissolved oxygen.

For more information on invasive species, check out the Maine Invasives page.

We are looking for volunteers who are interested in participating in the measurement of water quality.   Lake Stewards of Maine has offered a training class on the lake next summer.  Given warmer temperatures, larger rain events, and increasing development of land around the lake continuing this activity is a vitally important part of monitoring the health of our lake.   

Sebec Lake Fisheries Management Plan

Sebec Lake Trout Population Report 2024

Tim Obrey's Fishing Report for 1/11/2024 is an evaluation of current Sebec Lake's lake trout population evaluation.  Be sure to check out the drone footage of finding the lake trout which have now been tagged.  

2012 Fisheries Management Plan

Slide Presentation 2012 Fisheries Management Plan

In Fall 2012, Tim Obrey, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist, called together a group of individuals with an interest in maintaining Sebec Lake's unique qualities to create a plan for managing this precious resource.  In addition to Tim, the Sebec Lake Stakeholders Group includes  Brian Woodworth, Jerry Colbry, Jerry Packard, Jim Drinkwater, Ben Devers, Norm Hill, Peter Chase, and John Tatko.  After much work and discussion, the Plan has been finalized and appears above.  

Salmon Monitoring Program

At the 2015 Annual Meeting, Tim Obrey talked about the IFW project to monitor salmon attempting to jump Earley's Falls to spawn in the river above the falls.  This included specially made equipment to trap the salmon both before and after jumping the falls, as well as monitoring the feed stock necessary for the salmon fry to mature.

Maps

Action Plan: Boat Wash Station & Launch signage

Have you noticed the new 'Check your Watercraft' signs?

As the Association continues to push forward our enhanced education effort relating to the risk of invasive species, we have installed new signage at the main launches around the lake. Visitors and camp owners alike who use the launches will notice the new signs, designed to encourage watercraft owners to inspect and clean their craft well before dropping them in the lake.

We hope these will help educate and inform, and encourage taking action. More to come as the year goes on.

Please let us know what you think. -- Rudy Davis, President Sebec Lake Association.

Click here to see the Boat Wash design graphic.

The Action Plan to Protect and Preserve Sebec Lake         

by President Rudy Davis

As many of you know, the Association has sponsored an Invasive Plant Program since 2012. The team, comprised entirely of volunteers, undertook a massive mission to map the vegetation of the lake and be available to respond to inquiries. While great progress was made, everything ground to a halt with the Covid era lockdowns. While prevented from mapping, we recognized the need for a dedicated boat with a Lexan ('glass') bottom for easier and more efficient viewing. Getting the donated boat retrofitted and in the water has not been easy, but we plan to christen it on June 1. This is an important step in what is truly needed -- a reinvigoration of, and expansion of the Invasive Plant Program to a multi-faceted Sebec Invasives Species Prevention & Response program. (S-ISPR)

There are four components to the enhanced S-ISPR program:

1. Active Prevention
2. Education
3. Monitoring & Mapping
4. Threat Response Preparedness

Active Prevention: As many of you may have read late last year in the Observer, we have been working with the town of Dover-Foxcroft to find a way to build a complimentary watercraft / boat wash station at Greely's Landing. (Want to see the plans? Go to the association website.) This has been a heavy lift. As of this writing, we have applied for grants to cover the cost with four foundations. So far, we've received compliments on the applications, but zero dollar commitments. So, we now plan to pursue the funding through personal donations and a capital raise campaign to begin during the summer, with a target date of May 2024 to open the station.
However, there's more to Active Prevention than a wash station. The SLA has worked with the four towns around the lake so we can install better signage at the launches, so that boaters can inspect their watercraft for vegetation well before launching. We hope to get volunteers to be 'courtesy greeters' at the launches during the busiest times, to help boaters inspect their craft for vegetation. We will use the IPP boat to regularly inspect the launch areas and areas where there are 'transient' type rental properties, to be vigilant and quick to respond should a plant be found, as it takes only one small segment to start the infestation.
And, regardless of your personal level of involvement in these actions, you need to ensure that visitors to your camp have thoroughly cleaned and dried any type of craft that goes in the water, from big boats to water shoes and tubes, and everything in between.

Education: In this newsletter you have already seen some of the educational elements that we are rolling out....pictures of the key invasive plants; how to manage them; ways to prevent introduction of them to the lake. Courtesy greeters, better, clearer larger signage will educate at the point of launch. And our goal is to continue to educate about the risks, and the methods of prevention. Additional information will be added to the website as the summer progresses.

Monitoring & Mapping: The clear bottom viewing boat is a great tool, but it needs people to make it work. The goal of monitoring and mapping is two-fold and straightforward. We need to finish the initial work of the mapping program. We still have half the lake shoreline to map. It's a big task and we need you to become a volunteer. We'll get you trained to identify the various plants along the shore that are part of the healthy and necessary vegetation that creates habitat for the wildlife that inhabit Sebec. Monitoring is also straight forward. We know the most likely places for invasives introduction are the boat launches. Setting up a regular schedule to visit and assess them is needed. Again, we need volunteers to learn how to do this and perform the task.

Threat Response Preparedness: The SLA hopes to build a war chest of funds, a Threat Response Reserve fund, if you will, so that when an infestation occurs, we'll have initial funds to attack the area and, at the least, get it sealed off to prevent further spread. We've started that process with the donations that come in for the IPP program, and designating a portion of the funds we receive elsewise to this Reserve fund. To be clear, we don't envision this fund ever needing to reach the level needed to do what Cobbossee has required, but we do need to be prepared.

Threat Response Preparedness is more than funding, however. It's having a team of people that can respond to a camp owner contacting us if they see something growing that 'I haven't see before'. It takes volunteers being trained, as mentioned throughout this piece, to be able to get to the location and evaluate the concern, and to take the appropriate steps to figure out what the plant may be.

As I hope you've noticed, there is one word that repeats itself throughout this article....VOLUNTEERS! Without them, without you, our chances of protecting Sebec from invasive species is greatly diminished. The Board members of SLA...all 11 of us...can't do it all. We need your help.

So, here is my appeal. Please consider volunteering for one of these needs. Yes, it will take some time away from the fun of the lake. But imagine the lake under attack such that we are restricted in using it. Not so much fun then, eh? If I've convinced you to help, send me or Hugh Johnston an email at via the Board page on the Sebec Lake Association website. We'll contact you as soon as possible and get you involved.

Lake Smart Program: In summer 2024, 23 lake front property owners took advantage of the free Lake Smart evaluation offered by Katherine Weber of the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District.   A presentation on the Lake Smart program was part of the 2024 annual meeting of the Sebec Lake Association.  For those unable to attend, the Lake Smart presentation slides will be available here in the near future.  With large rain events becoming common, it is worth knowing what can be done to better manage the run-off into the lake.   

Maine Legislation/Laws

This Legislative Session was fast and furious! In a short “emergency” session, there we several important lake bills that successfully made it through committee and past the governor’s desk. For a print copy of any of the new legislation, Click here.

These bills could not have succeeded without help from all of you! 

Grassroots activists, LakeSmart volunteers, lake association members and so many others wrote letters and spoke in front of committees, making it clear to legislators that lakes deserve strong, thoughtful, and effective protection policies. 

Protecting our Shorelines: LD 2101

Municipalities and the Land Use Planning Commission will have crucial new tools at their disposal to enforce existing shoreland zoning rules and to counter egregious violators. This bill will allow them to suspend or revoke shoreland zoning permits and place liens on properties in violation of shoreland zoning rules, better protecting water quality and wildlife habitat, especially nesting loons.

Support for Reducing Invasive Species Spread: LD 2141 and LD 1342

Invasive plants—including milfoils, Curly-leaf pondweed, Parrot Feather, European naiad, and more—accidentally introduced to Maine waters disrupt habitat, displace native wildlife, harm lake water quality, and reduce fishing and recreational opportunities. 

LD 2141 will add $2M to the Invasive Aquatic Plant and Nuisance Species Fund to help address the most serious invasive aquatic plant infestations. Last month, more than 600 supporters signed a petition organized by Maine Audubon and signed by many of you urging the Legislature's Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee to fund the bill. We are awaiting word from this committee with a final funding amount and hope that it is close to what was asked as we know the need for invasive species risk reduction is great. 

LD 1342 will adjust the cost of the Lake and River Protection Sticker, which all motorized watercraft must display in Maine, by $10 in 2025 and again in 2028. The change will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars to help combat invasive species spread and reduce the serious risks to Maine’s lakes and waterways. 

Managing Wakesurfing to Protect Lake Health: LD 2284

Wake boats are a relatively new sight on Maine's lakes, and their impacts to both lake health and human safety have raised concerns among lake volunteers, shoreland homeowners, and other boaters. Wakesurfing is one of the main operating modes for wakeboats, creating very large wakes that can be ridden on a surf board, with no tow rope. While a great activity far from shore, where the large waves have time to dissipate, wakesurfing too close to shore allows the large waves to erode shorelines, swamp and sink boats, pose serious danger for swimmers and other boaters, and wash eggs out of loon nests. Maine Lakes staff participated in a stakeholder group organized last fall by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife that made several recommendations for legislation to help address wake boat impacts. (Your can read the report here). This bill, which was enacted at the beginning of April, addresses several issues raised in the report and will prohibit wakesurfing less than 300' from shore and in water less than 15' deep. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will report back to the committee in three years on how the new law is working.

LD 2884 will prohibit a motorboat engaging in wakesurfing within 300 feet of shore and in water less than 15 feet deep. While we had originally advocated for this distance to be 500 feet, a distance supported by research in the field, this bill is a start in raising awareness about the risks of wakesurfing too close to shore. We believe there is space for everyone on Maine’s lakes. Reducing impacts from activities that erode shores and damage habitat by moving them away from shore is a great way to both keep the activity on the lake and to protect the resource, clean water, that is so vital to our boating industry.

June 16, 2023:  New Maine Law Requires Owner to do a Pre-Launch check of ALL Watercraft to Prevent Invasive Species 

Effective June 16, 2023, boaters are now required to do the following:

Prior to entering a water body and when preparing to leave launch sites, boaters are required to remove or open any devices designed for routine removal/opening (for example, hull drain plugs, bailers, live wells, ballast tanks) to encourage draining of areas containing water (excluding live bait containers). This must be done in a way that does not allow drained water to enter any inland water of the state.

From the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: 

New law impacting boaters, paddlers, anglers, and any other watercraft users.

To reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species in Maine, a law was passed by Maine Legislature that requires boaters to take specific actions to encourage water to drain from their watercraft prior to entering a water body or leaving a launch site (PUBLIC LAW 2023 CHAPTER 190). Aquatic invasive species are any fish, wildlife, or plant species that spreads to a water body where they do not naturally occur. These species are often transferred to new locations on watercraft, watercraft trailers, and other equipment associated with water recreation, and they impact the health of our waters, fish, and wildlife.

Effective June 16, 2023, boaters are now required to do the following:

Prior to entering a water body and when preparing to leave launch sites, boaters are required to remove or open any devices designed for routine removal/opening (for example, hull drain plugs, bailers, live wells, ballast tanks) to encourage draining of areas containing water (excluding live bait containers). This must be done in a way that does not allow drained water to enter any inland water of the state.

This puts into law what the Clean, Drain, Dry educational and outreach campaign has already been encouraging boaters to do. By ensuring that all boaters are draining water when it is from a different source than the inland water body they are about to enter, the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species including some that are not always visible by eye, to new areas is drastically reduced. Similar laws are already in effect in more than 20 other states, including neighboring New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. This law will limit the spread of aquatic invasive species we already have in Maine while proactively limiting potential for the introduction of aquatic invasive species that would be new to the state such as quagga mussels and the spiny water flea.

Wake Surfing: The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) recently completed a report summarizing the findings of a working group that reviewed studies around wake, wake boat, and wake surfing impacts. Wake surfing waves are much larger than those generated by other boating activities such as water skiing or tubing. Even when the activity is 200 feet from shore, if the waves are generated along the side facing the shore, they can be large enough when they reach shore to swamp boats, damage docks, and put people and property at risk. One of the proposals discussed in the report is to simply move the activity of wake surfing further from shore, which protects shorelines and habitat, reduces erosion, and reduces the potential for property damage. The IFW Committee, composed of legislators who discuss and move relevant legislation forward, is currently debating options for legislation to address these concerns.

Please check our Advocacy page for updates.

You can read the IFW Report to the Committee here.

Shoreland Zoning Violations: There will be a public hearing for LD 2101 before the State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 1:00. The bill is in response to major shoreland zone violations where wealthy homeowners have used litigation to bankrupt municipal coffers and swamp the capacity of limited municipal staff. The bill allows the town to claim a lien against the property and revoke permits issued for work in the shoreland zone. This is a critical bill that will safeguard municipalities, and our lakes, against homeowners who ignore Maine law and disregard their impact on lakes that belong to every one of us.

For more information about submitting a letter in support of LD 2101, please visit our Advocacy page.

Invasive Species: The IFW Committee heard from advocates last week who are in favor of LD 2141, a bill that will give a one-time appropriation of $2 million for aquatic invasive species work and will also ask IFW to assess inspection protocols and surface use restrictions as a tool for reducing the spread of invasive species. In addition to the speakers in the room, the committee has received 79 pieces of testimony from lake advocates in favor of the bill. Thank you to all who have spoken up!

You can check progress on the bill here or on our Advocacy page.

Thank you in advance for speaking up!