Overview of shoreline photo project.
During the summer of 2011 Colby Researchers are conducting comprehensive photographic surveys of the shoreline of all of the Belgrade Lakes. The National Lake Assessment conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency found that lakeshore habitat is the single most important factor in determining lake water quality (http://water.epa.gov/type/lakes/lakessurvey_index.cfm). Efforts to conserve shoreline ecosystems will improve water quality, biodiversity, as well as the value of all properties in the watershed. For these reasons, Belgrade Lakes stakeholders, including local municipalities, the Maine DEP, code enforcement officers, and sportsmen groups have specifically requested shoreline photos of all the Belgrade Lakes in a format that is easily accessible over the internet using free software tools.
In response to these requests we have taken over 4000 shoreline photographs in the watershed. This menu includes links with directions on how to view/download the photos and provides access to lake specific photo collections.
Photographs were always taken from a public waterway between 50 and 100 feet from the shoreline. Care was taken not to capture incriminating images of people during the photo collection process. In addition, all photos were reviewed a second time to ensure that they meet our established protocols for privacy.
