FAQs

Very! Sebago Lake is relatively young, as lakes go, is underlain by tough Sebago granite, and its watershed is mostly forested. The greatest threats to any lake’s cleanliness come from human activities. Sebago Lake is the deepest lake in New England and contains almost a trillion gallons of water. This doesn’t mean it’s invincible, but it takes more effort to pollute that much water. Put all these factors together and you have one of the nation’s finest water supply lakes.

In the summer, the lake “stratifies” or develops layers of different temperatures that do not mix. Perhaps you’ve noticed the effect– have you ever kicked into a cooler layer while swimming at the warm surface? As fall nights chill the lake’s surface, the top layer of water cools, becomes heavier, and eventually sinks. Water that was at the bottom of the lake is displaced– it rises to the top, bringing with it lots of bottom nutrients. Fall winds mix these layers, distributing oxygen and nutrients from top to bottom, until ice forms.

Resist the urge to feed ducks or any water fowl. “People” food is far less nutritious to a duck than its normal diet. Handouts may cause ducks to become tame and more exposed to natural predators. Migration could be delayed. Ducks are perfectly capable of finding food, unless they have become overly dependent on human handouts.

Duck feeding causes problems for people, too. Duck waste may contain bacteria and parasites that are unhealthy for humans.

Toilet flushing uses a lot of water, 40% of a household's total water usage. Putting something in the toilet tank that takes up space, like a toilet dam or a water filled jug, is a good idea. But putting a brick in the tank is not a good idea. Bricks tend to crumble and might damage your toilet.