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The China Lake Syndrome The China Lake Syndrome is when the lake has way too much algae. In 1971 you could see 18 feet down in the lake. But in 1986 you could not even see 5 feet down in the lake. In 1985 there was so much algae in the lake it made swimming and boating impossible. The algae was so bad that it had a horrid smell, a green/blue color, and it threatened to slow our economy. If no one came to China to vacation then the lake would get much worse. No one would go the restaurants or businesses, they might close and people might move away! “Since 1981 the lake has gotten much better because everyone that wants to help has pitched in and helped," said Reb Manthey the director of the China Region Lakes Alliance. So if everyone helps our next generation can swim in China Lake without worrying

The Dam Level by Joshua The China Lake water level is controlled by the village of East Vassalboro. The state says what level they should keep it at. If there wasn’t a dam the level of the lake would be determined by spring rain and by rainfall throughout the year. With the dam, humans determine the level of the lake. Over the years, the water level of China Lake has been controversial. Some of the people in town feel lowering the lake is better for the environment, while the DEP (The Department of Environmental Protection) feels the water level should stay the way it is. The water flows over the spillway of the dam. The China Lake outlet of the dam is located behind the old brick school in Vassalboro

China Lake Poll Results by Adam My graph shows the opinions of over four hundred citizens that participated in a poll on China Lake. On Election Day at China Middle School between six and seven hundred people cast their votes there. About three quarters of them took part in our poll. The results were very interesting. For example, one of the questions asked if China should limit the amount of motorboats and jet skis on China Lake. The people that worked at monitoring the polls thought that many people would vote “no” on that question, but the poll showed that almost twice as many people voted “yes." So it was very fascinating to learn about what people think about China Lake. Some questions had more predictable results. For example, the first question asked: “Who do you think is responsible for cleaning up the lake?” Four hundred sixteen people voted it is “everyone’s” responsibility. Only twenty-four felt the state should be responsible and only ten people thought it was nature’s job. Our poll was not one hundred percent correct because some questions were skipped or people did not understand them. I enjoyed doing this because I got to hear people’s opinions about China Lake

Interviews Jenna Richardson, volunteer and outreach coordinator for the China Region Lakes Alliance is doing a lesson on good interviewing techniques. Many students want to interview people about China Lake issues.

Seasonal Cycles in the Lake by Jason Every year when the seasons change so does the lake. In the winter when the ice forms algae grows under the lake. If the snow is thick and the sun cannot reach the algae, the algae dies out and falls to the bottom of the lake. If the snow is not thick and the sun can reach the algae, the algae lives through the winter. In the spring and summer the lake is polluted by erosion and human actions. Erosion is when wind or rain water comes down and carries dirt into the lake. Too much sediment is bad for the lake. The lake is enjoyed by swimmers, fishers and boaters. In the autumn the animal and plant life prepare for the long winter. China Lake is very nice lake

General Information 1. Water quality tests are conducted by the Kennebec Water District every two weeks. Tests include dissolved oxygen, temperature, clarity, algae types, and phosphorus. See www.pearl.spatial.maine.edu for water quality data. 2. The China Lake area is “highly developed” with many homes on the eastern basin. 3. The algae blooms on China Lake are getting less severe and occur later and later each year. Water quality is improving. 4. China Lake holds approximately 31.7 billion gallons of water. The deepest spot on the lake is 85 feet. China Lake’s area is 3832 acres and has a watershed of 32 square miles

China Lake Syndrome I would like to tell you about The China Lake Syndrome. The China Lake Syndrome is about China Lake and its pollution issues. In 1971 China Lake was crystal clear, you could see over fifteen feet down. But over the years pollution has increased incredibly. In 1985 people found masses of blue green algae that made people ask why. These masses of algae made swimming and boating impossible. The town of China became a battle ground because some residents blamed each other for all the pollution. Some said it was the loggers and others said it was the farmers and others said it was the folks with new development. Some people moved away and some stores suffered from bad business. But other people stayed and said we will prevail. Some people wanted to have the lake treated with chemicals to kill the algae, but that would have cost way too much money and may have hurt the lake life. Although the lake still has some algae in it, many people still live on the lake and swim in it. I think studying China Lake Syndrome was really fun and I hope many other people study it too. The E

China Lake Water Quality Report 2001-2002 by Jonathan Van Bourg Last year China Lake water quality, monitored by the Kennebec Water District, was very similar to the previous year, although the algae bloom began slightly later in 2000. Basically, China Lake has been in a stable state since 1992, with the exception of 1999, when there was bloom of Aphanizomenon algae through the winter which caused a serious but brief decline in water quality. Last year the lake water stratified (separated into layers) one week later than in 2000. When it bloomed, it first turned green in the west basin. The phosphorous readings were slightly higher than the previous year and the Chlorophyll A readings were slightly lower. There is a continued increase in Zooplankton population which is a good indicator of improving water quality but the population is fragile. We have also heard from Department of Inland Fish and Wildfire (IF&W) that there is a greater diversity in size of the white perch population. At present there has been plenty of rain but no real gully washers. This is very good because it is the gully washes that cause most of the erosion that transport phosphorous to the Lake. Phosphorous is the nutrient that helps the algae to bloom. The lake is now full in spite of forecast “drought conditions.” If we have a dry summer, then most likely China Lake will bloom more intensely than in 2001 but not until mid September. In mid July, water quality was still slightly better than last year. We have found 7-meter secci disk readings (a clarity measure) in the west basin. This is much better than in the past. All basins are stratified. The North basin is already anoxic (no oxygen) below the thermocline. There are some signs of an algae bloom in southern coves of the West basin, but when the algae was analyzed it was found to be mostly a mix of diatoms and some Melosira. (The presence of various plant species provides a balance and results in a healthy lake.) If this summer becomes wet and overcast then lake water quality will continue a pattern of gradual improvement.

China Lake and its Watershed A lake is a product of its watershed” The watershed is the total land area that drains into the lake. Each lake depends upon its watershed for its life support and existence. A watershed is defined by the physical outline of the land itself, with the highest points as its boundary. The China Lake watershed is 33 square miles of land. If something happens to the watershed it will affect the lake. You can see road signs around China Lake, Threemile Pond and Webber Pond telling you when you have entered the watershed area

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Wetland Introduction We hope you find these booklets delightful and informational. From, The China Middle School’s fifth grade By Courtney Our class studied all types of wetlands when we were getting ready to go to the Children’s Water Festival in Orono, Maine. We made flip books that gave information about swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens. We also drew pictures to go with each wetland type. These books told about the environment, habitat, and what lived in the wetlands. Near China Lake, we have marshes and swamps. As you can see from my flip book and Nathan Sylvester’s, we shared information about what you might hear, smell, and see around our lake. You can also learn about the animals that live in these wetland areas. On each and every page you will find a picture of some of the animals that live in that habitat and a tiny paragraph that tells all about the area.

The Poll by Alyshia My name is Alyshia and I worked with three other people on this project. We desighned an exit poll for the voters of China. We all wrote questions to help set up the poll. We are the kids who asked the voters to take our survey. We tallied over 400 papers to get our results. I made a graph with these results. I chose to do lake log because it looked very interesting to me. I am glad I did chose this because I had a good time doing the poll. The End.

Exit Poll by Nick My project is about the exit poll we made. I worked in a group. First, we brainstormed questions for the poll. Second, the teachers picked ten questions that would go on the final poll. Third, we took the poll to the elections, to interview town members. We were working on the poll when Channel 5 came in and interviewed us all to put us on Television. We didn't get on Television.