To Preserve, Protect and Enhance the Beauty of
Lake Winnecook
New Alum Treatment Page!
Our Alum Treatment page is live! Discover how this proven method can help reduce algae-causing nutrients and improve water quality. Click on our logo to the right to learn what this means for our lake and our fight against algal blooms!
Lawrence Mangan Memorial Page
Please click the button below to visit the Lawrence Mangan Memorial page, honoring the memory of our dear friend Larry Mangan. In accordance with his family's wishes, any funds that would have been spent on flowers are instead being donated to Friends of Lake Winnecook to honor his memory and love of our lake.
2025 FOLW Ice Out Contest
The 2025 Ice Out Contest is here! Entries are now open for current members. If you have not renewed your membership yet, you can do so by clicking on the button in the membership section, just below.
Members - We sent out the password to the Ice Out page in the newsletter sent on 1/31/2025. If you did not receive it, please contact us at the following email address and we will have one sent to you:
Good luck to all who enter!
Membership Information
Friends of Lake Winnecook (FOLW) and our beloved lake would love your help; please click below for more information on how to become a member or renew your current membership.
Let’s Make it Clean, Not Green!
We Have a Winner!
Out of 41 submissions, we are thrilled to announce that Donna Gillette, of Corinth and Unity submitted the winning name for Phase III of the Unity Pond Watershed Restoration. A huge thank you to Donna and to all 14 members who submitted their ideas. Let’s rally behind this inspiring message and work together to restore the health of our lake!
FOLW Blog
Stay up to date with what is happening on Unity Pond
2/1/2025 - We have pictures of the Amish harvesting ice from a Maine lake to help with storage during the hotter months!
The 35th FOLW Annual Meeting Recap
The Annual Meeting went off without a hitch, thanks to the many volunteers and participants who made it a success. A good crowd of 45 members attended, eager to learn more about our ongoing efforts at Lake Winnecook and Togus Pond’s recent rehabilitation.
We extend a special thank you to Doug Miller of the Worromontogus Lake Association - also know as Togus Pond - for his time in preparing and presenting. Doug and his colleagues are truly LAKE HEROES in our state!
We also want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our board volunteers and their spouses: Joanne Roy, Charlie Schaefer, Ellen Batchelder, Dan Macleod, Steve and Sheila Krautkremer, Amy Starbird, Paul and Kathy Warburg, and last but not least, Brian Fletcher.
Thank you all for your contributions and support!
Lake Winnecook now has a Loon Nesting Raft!
Maine is home to the largest population of loons in the Northeast but Maine loons face threats both on breeding lakes and offshore wintering areas. The Maine Loon Restoration Project is a five-year project that aims to give Maine loons better chances for breeding success and reduce threats to their survival. Funding was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of the Bouchard Barge 120 Buzzards Bay Oil Spill Trustees.
Plant Buffer Workshop Slides
Waldo County SWCD and FOLW hosted a plant buffer workshop last week where the presenters explained how a strong vegetated buffer along the shoreline of a lake prevents soil erosion and in turn, poor lake water quality.
Click on the buttons to the right to see the Zoom video and the slides that were presented during the meeting!
Gravel Road Workshop!
Discover the secrets to maintaining your camp road effectively, saving money, and preserving the pristine beauty of our lake! We invite you to join us online this Tuesday night for a 1-Hour Gravel Road Workshop, where we'll focus on Best Management Practices that can make a significant difference for your camp road and the environment.
Click below to view the blog on the Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District page. There is also a link to the video presentation, which was recorded and can be played back on-demand.
Internal Loading Study Results
Leveraging the funds received through a grant from the John Sage Foundation, as well as in-kind donations, & support form the ME. DEP an analysis of lake sediment was conducted. One of the next steps in the Watershed-Based Management Plan (WBMP). Please click on the button below to view the study.
Watershed Survey: Final Report
The link below will display the Final Report of the Unity Pond Watershed Survey, which was conducted last year. The report will provide our members with insight regarding the sources of pollution around the Watershed, a list of properties that have been identified as potential risks, as well as suggestions on how to rectify the issues found.
The protection of the watershed should be an effort undertaken and supported by the entire Lake Winnecook community, especially after the announcement by the Maine DEP regarding the PFAS contamination.