Maine is home to thousands of freshwater lakes and ponds, offering immense value for residents and visitors alike. Each year, Maine lakes provide outdoor recreation opportunities for hundreds of thousands of boaters, anglers, birders and swimmers.

They create idyllic settings for youth summer camps, serve as stunning backdrops for scenic drives, reduce stress and can even slow our heartbeats.

Maine’s lakes have important ecological benefits as well. Lakes and their surrounding riparian areas support 70% of Maine’s wildlife at different stages in their life cycles, including fish, turtles, bats, minks, amphibians, and pollinators, as well as two of Maine’s most iconic species: moose and loons. Maine’s lakes support public health, too, supplying roughly half of all Mainers with drinking water.

Maine’s former governor Percival Baxter once said: “These lakes and this water are public property of inestimable value.”

Putting an economic value on nature is no easy task, and can even feel like it undermines the intrinsic benefits nature provides that are impossible to quantify. Still, as policymakers consider how to make decisions around investing in conserving Maine’s natural resources, including our lakes, understanding the economic implications is important.

To that end, a team of researchers from the University of Maine led by Dr. Adam Daigneault, a professor at the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources, recently conducted a three-year study to assess the economic value of Maine’s lakes. Using a range of methods, including surveys, modeling and expenditure analyses, Daigneault and his colleagues estimated the total net value of Maine’s lakes to be a whopping $14.1 billion – with an additional $3 billion in direct and indirect expenditures for lake-related activities each year.

Another key finding from the study was the importance of water quality in determining the value of Maine’s lakes. The research team estimated that even a moderate decline in water quality would reduce the recreational use value of Maine lakes by $33 million per year.

On the other hand, a one-foot increase in water clarity – a simple indicator of water quality – was correlated with a 1.1% increase in property values, or $146 million. Having clean, clear lakes pays off in real dollars.

Among the roughly 6,000 lakes and ponds in Maine, nearly half are “Great Ponds” more than 10 acres in size. This means they are designated as shared public resources – jointly owned by all residents in the state. But the task of keeping them clean falls largely on the shoulders of nonprofits, including local lake associations, regional watershed organizations and statewide lake conservation groups.

Today, growth in unprecedented threats to Maine’s lakes is increasing pressure on these nonprofits to raise the funds needed to protect and manage lake ecosystems. Major rain events spurred by the climate crisis carry unwanted phosphorus into the water, feeding unpleasant or even dangerous algae blooms. Invasive species and growing development pressures present additional, serious threats.

If you love Maine’s lakes and want to help protect them for generations to come, why not join a local, regional, or state lake organization? Maine Lakes has a map and list of lake associations at its website: www.lakes.me/map. While you’re there, you can sign up for legislative action alerts to help support common-sense lake protection policies in Augusta.

Gov. Janet Mills recently proclaimed July to be Lakes Appreciation Month in Maine, in recognition of the value of these special ecosystems. There’s no better month to get outside and enjoy our lakes, appreciate all they provide us and support their continued protection.

“Nature Connects” is a monthly column showcasing conservation stories from people and organizations across Maine. To learn more or suggest story ideas, email reply@mcht.org.