Bill Love, who lives on Boyden Lake in Perry, didn't have to worry about getting in over his head this year when he put out his dock in June. He relates that, in most years, the water would come to about his chin as he was working on the farthest section. This year it came to about his waist, about two feet lower than normal. He notes, "Boyden is a shallow lake to begin with, and it's certainly a lot shallower now. And the summer heat is just beginning."
      The low water level is raising concerns not only about the impacts for those who live on the lake but also about possible effects on drinking water quality for the Passamaquoddy Water District (PWD), which serves Sipayik and Eastport.
      But some lakefront residents are not too worried. Kevin Raye, who has been on the lake for 63 years, says that in past years the water level "has been much, much lower than this." When he was a child, he remembers there being 100 feet of beach in front of his home; this year the beach is 12 to 15 feet out to the water. "In recent years, there's not been a lot of low water," he notes. "Some people don't have the perspective of years to know how low it was in the past." He recalls seeing a photo from the 1960s of a vehicle on an island out in the lake, and his grandmother says that farmers used to bring in hay from an island that formed when the water was low. After the dam at the outlet was put in around 1923, the water level remained more consistent. "From the perspective of the long haul, it's not as alarming as those who have only seen the lake the past few years."
      Others, though, are more concerned. Tessa Ftorek, who has spent 67 years on the lake, says, "I have never seen it lower at this time of year." Referring to the current June level as "a dry summer, August low," she says the level dropped rapidly this spring. "It was extremely high in April, but within five weeks we had 20 feet of shore." She adds, "I have seen it lower, but not in June."
      Camp owners are concerned about the quality of the water for drinking or swimming, boaters may find more rocks exposed and people may have trouble launching their boats.
      Raye believes the low water level "has a lot to do with the lack of snow" and the dry weather this spring. He notes that Mill Stream, which is one of the inlets that feeds the lake near Bishop's field, is "just a trickle" now. Also, he understands that Pennamaquan Lake is very low, as are some other lakes in Maine. "It's happening all over, due to the conditions." Ftorek agrees, stating, "This has to do with what Mother Nature is doing with precipitation."
      Tristan Taber, water quality program director for Lake Stewards of Maine, says there have been a few reports of lakes having low water levels in different areas of the state, but others have adequate water. "It's not like two years ago when there were many reports of low water levels." He does note that since there was a great deal of rain and sleet and little snow during the winter the snow pack was lower, resulting in a shorter period when water was entering into lakes. "We expect to see a significant decreased water retention within watersheds," he says.
      Boyden is a shallow lake, only 34 feet at its deepest point when the water is high. Ftorek expects there will be a lot of plant growth and possibly an algal bloom this year. Raye also is concerned about the possibility of thick mats of algae forming that can take over a lake and produce toxins that are harmful to human and animal health. "I do fret about algal blooms, when the water is real low and there's really hot weather." While he's seen algae growth previously, "there's no evidence of it yet," he says.
      According to Taber, low water levels do not inherently cause algal blooms, but they can potentially cause sediment to become stirred up on the bottom, which can include nutrients like phosphorus. Phosphorus can stimulate excess growth of algae, causing low dissolved oxygen levels.
      Noting that Boyden Lake supports different fisheries, Taber says he would be more concerned about temperature with a low water level. "There will be less cold-water habitat for cold-water fish," such as trout and landlocked salmon.

Drinking water concerns
      Some have wondered whether the low water level is related to any changes at the lake's outlet. Ann Bellefleur, the business manager of the Passamaquoddy Water District (PWD), says, "We haven't done anything to the dam" that is at the outlet. She says PWD staff have walked along the stream that leads from the lake to the impoundment area near the water treatment plant and have not seen any beaver dams that have been broken up. She says the PWD will try to get sand bags placed at the outlet this month, which may help some with the lake's water level. "It would be ideal if we could get a new one," she says of the previous dam. "We'll see how this goes first. If this continues each spring, we may build up the dam. The question is what will happen in August if there's no rain." She notes that the water district has the authority to control the lake's water level in order to provide drinking water to its customers.
      Bellefleur says the low water level should not affect the PWD's water quality. "The camp owners worry about an algal bloom, but that doesn't affect us."
      Mark McCluskey of A.E. Hodsdon in Waterville, a consulting engineering firm for the PWD, who is the licensed operator for the water treatment plant in Perry, says that the water district is currently meeting all of the required standards and the plant has not had to use any more chemicals for treatment. He notes that, when there is a dry spell, some groundwater comes into the stream that flows from the lake, which can change to some degree the nature of the raw water coming into the plant. The alkalinity can increase slightly, which improves the water quality to some degree.
      If an algal bloom were to occur in the lake, he says the treatment plant should be able to deal with the changes that would occur, which would include a reduction in the dissolved oxygen levels. He remembers a year some time ago when there was an algal bloom, and "we got through it OK." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises that harmful algal blooms can produced toxins, called cyanotoxins, that can pose health risks, but conventional water treatment generally can remove low levels of toxins.
      McCluskey expects there may be some trouble throughout the state this summer with low water levels affecting surface waters used as public drinking sources. He notes that at Long Pond in Sullivan, which is used to provide drinking water, the water level is as low as the treatment plant operator has ever seen it.

Benefits of lake associations
      As for what people can do to help the lake, Ftorek recalls that the Boyden Lake Association had previously been very active, conducting water quality measurements, building floating loon nesting platforms, providing educational programs and a newsletter, and even placing sandbags at the outlet to keep the water level up.
      While there had previously been a wooden dam at the outlet, which could be used to help regulate the water level, no dam has been there for years. Ftorek suggests that a dam would allow for water to be let out in the fall, which would help prevent ice damage during the winter, and provide for water to be retained in the summer, to keep the water level higher.
      Ftorek, who had been involved with the lake association, says, "It would be great to get the association more active."
      Taber of Lakes Stewards of Maine notes that an active lake association, with a steering committee, can be a significant aid to a community. While the state has oversight of maintaining lake and stream flow levels, a local committee can keep a better eye on a particular lake than the state is able to do.
      Lake Stewards of Maine works to protect Maine lakes through citizen participation in the gathering and dissemination of scientific information pertaining to lake health. To help address issues taking place in a watershed, the organization offers several trainings, including for watershed assessment, and provides educational resources.
      Taber also points out that those who are concerned about algal blooms can reach out to Lake Stewards of Maine or the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The Environmental Protection Agency has an app called "bloomWatch" that allows one to submit data to the DEP or Lakes Stewards of Maine that can be evaluated for a possible bloom.