MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 5, 2025
Maine lakes are warming two times as fast as the air around us, according to the Maine Climate Council. Less ice coverage and warmer waters increase summer stratification, which deprives the bottom waters of a pond or lake of oxygen. Fish need oxygen; if there is not enough dissolved oxygen in the lake water, they die. Warmer waters promote algae and vegetation growth, including invasive species that plague the lakes. While most people value its skating, fishing and snowmobiling benefits, a seasonal ice cap also protects the water below from shoreline runoff — less ice means less protection from chemicals, salt and nutrients in the runoff and declines in water quality.