Boaters Delight on Long Lake, Harrison, Maine

by Leigh Macmillen Hayes

In Maine, many communities, such as Harrison, were built around lakes or millponds. Harrison is nestled between Long Lake and Crystal Lake in the Sebago Lakes Region. Consequently, the visual quality of Harrison, like other lakefront towns, is dependent upon the condition of the water body and the shorefront.

Lakefront Properties For Sale on Crystal Lake & Long Lake in Harrison

View Vacation Rentals on Long Lake

The natural beauty of the lake is part of the quality of life not only for lakefront property owners, but for the entire community. The quality of the lake affects community property values and the local tax base.
When lakes are properly managed, there are opportunities for a variety of recreational opportunities including fishing, swimming and boating. With effective lake management comes habitat for game fish and other wildlife.
A balance needs to be made concerning the needs of wildlife along with the needs of the community. Do you prefer weedbeds that encourage fish? Or, do you want the bottom to be sandy where your feet touch as you swim? Beautifully groomed lakefront lawns or no fertilizers and pesticides flowing into the water?
These are just some of the questions that must be answered about lake management.  The needs of taxpayers, agriculture and industry, including our dependency on the tourist industry in Maine, need to be taken into consideration.
While allowing a lake or pond to evolve naturally, thus creating wildlife habitat, would be best, protecting a lake involves considering the entire watershed. Time and money must be committed for long-term management. Lake management is defined as a process that involves study, assessment of problems, and decisions on how to maintain a lake as a thriving ecosystem.
Lakefront property owners and all townspeople would be wise to show concern about the protection of their bodies of water. Stewardship on the part of all residents will reflect in clean water and a better lifestyle that spans generations.
How Can You Love Your Lake?

• Practice natural yard care
• Go native and plant a buffer
• Keep your shoreline natural
• Shrink your lawn
• Learn to identify invasive aquatic plants
• Check boat trailers for these noxious weeds
• Don’t dump aquarium contents, fish or amphibious pets in the lake
• Leave fallen trees in the lake and on the shoreline
• Put up bat boxes
• Don’t use the lake as a bathtub
• Pick up trash
• Clean up after your pets
• Maintain your septic system
• Remove old equipment and machinery from your yard
• Keep hazardous waste out of the lake
• Keep a lid on your trash can
• Manage livestock manure
• Use non-toxic dock preservative
• Install a rain barrel
• Join or form a lake association
• Attend public meetings
• Get to know your neighbors
• Create wildlife corridors
• Communicate with elected officials

To learn more about lakefront properties for sale in Harrison, click on the green box above.
To learn more about Long Lake and Crystal Lake, check out the blog links below.
Long Lake, a Crown Jewel of the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine, is a Boaters’ Paradise
Crystal Lake Will Float Your Boat in Harrison, Maine