Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has just finished cleaning up trash at the Little Sebago Lake boat launch. Scattered trash, broken bottles, a mattress and, strangely enough, construction debris has littered the public launch site as of late. It is suspected that some of the garbage may be due to late-night “teen partying.” There is also evidence that someone may be using the boat launch as their own private dumpsite with much of the trash appearing to have been off-loaded from a truck.

“There’s always a certain amount of trash that’s there come spring,” President of the Little Sebago Lake Association (LSLA) Scott Lowell said. “Trash is a problem there when (the boat launch) is not managed.”

During the spring and summer seasons, the LSLA manages the boat launch at Little Sebago. A monitor checks boats going in and coming out of the lake for milfoil (an invasive aquatic plant). In past years, the monitor has watched out for littering and worked to keep the lake trash-free. However, with no trash facilities on site, visitors have no public place to dispose of trash.

“As use increases, so does this issue,” Lowell said. “If we were only getting five boats a day, it would be no big deal. But there are days we get a 100 boats (using the lake).”

Lowell attributes much of the littering to lack of public trash facilities. There have also been trespass complaints that visitors have been using private property around the lake as their own personal “squatting ground.” According to Lowell, the LSLA has offered many times to install a trash facility and a porta-potty at the lake, but the state refuses to allow it.

“Our general policy is ‘carry in, carry out,'” Francis Brautigam, regional fisheries biologist for Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W), “Most people are willing to take back what they take out. In the past we’ve tried to get as much public assistance to try and keep our sites nice and clean.”

Brautigam cited that the state does not typically install trash or bathroom facilities at the lakes. Brautigam also believes that the bulk of the trash that has recently littered the lake is not from recreational visits.

“The trash is obviously not being deposited by anglers or boaters.” Brautigam said. “And that’s really disturbing because anglers and boaters are being associated with the trash problem. A lot of anglers, if they see trash, will pick it up. And a lot of sportsmen are doing the clean-up for us without being acknowledged.”

Standish resident Steve Holmes, whom Brautigam describes as “a good-natured angler”, contacted IF&W and volunteered to take on litter patrol and pick-up. Last year, Holmes helped clean up Jaybird Pond through weekly litter patrols. Concerned about the amount of trash at the pond, the owner of the pond’s access site considered posting the land which would have in effect closed public use. Thankfully due to Holmes’ efforts, the pond is still open for recreation today.

MIF&W is still looking for additional volunteers to periodically help with litter cleanup at Little Sebago. Meanwhile, LSLA is working with House Representative Mark Bryant to try to convince the state to reconsider their request for trash and public bathroom facilities.

“If (the state) were to provide us with a facility, I’m sure we could find a volunteer to dispose of the trash,” Director of the LSLA Sharon Bard-Young said. “Our goal is to have a toilet and trash can. And that’s not a lot to ask.”

The public boat launch at Little Sebago Lake is trash-free after a spring cleaning performed recently by Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. IF&W cleaned up the boat launch after large deposits of trash were found littered at the site and is currently looking for volunteers to perform litter patrols.

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