SUN JOURNAL • July 2, 2022
In the summer of 2018, staff overseeing water quality at Lake Auburn watched as the turbidity level rose a worrying amount in a short period of time. With water temperatures above average, and summer storms producing runoff, algae levels spiked and the water developed a green tint. It’s raised questions about the district’s ability to maintain its waiver for the long-term, putting a filtration plant back in the planning pipeline. The waiver, which has been held by Auburn and Lewiston since 1991, is at the center of a passionate debate over the lake and proposed changes to watershed rules stemming from a 2021 report over how the watershed is managed. The report’s recommendations, and the city’s subsequent pursuit of implementing some of them, has divided the community, including officials directly involved with lake oversight.