Protection of Maine Lakes (Maine Revised Statutes: Title 38 - Waters and Navigation; Chapter 20) Country/Territory United States of America Territorial subdivision Maine Document type Legislation Date 2018 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Land & soil, Water Keyword Land-use planning Freshwater resources management Surface water Wetlands Protected area Protection of environment Basin/catchment/watershed Potable water Freshwater pollution Water quality standards Pollution control Recreational water use Coastal zone management Water rights Property rights Water abstraction Water conservation zone Water supply Inland waters Geographical area Americas, Arctic, East Pacific, North America, North Atlantic Abstract This chapter of the Maine Revised Statutes concerns protection of Maine lakes. It provides that, to protect the public trust, the State's great ponds must be protected from degradation. They must be managed according to watershed boundaries, while a diversity of lake setting types within each region of the State is maintained. Potable water from the State's great ponds should require minimal treatment. A primary goal of the protection of the State's great ponds is to ensure that consistent land use management policies and regulations are applied throughout the direct watershed of each great pond. The State's goals in managing the surface uses of great ponds are to avoid or minimize conflicts among recreational users, energy producers, shoreland owners and other users; maintain traditional water-dependent businesses; and ensure that the intensity of use allowed on a great pond is in keeping with its capacity to accommodate that use. Full text English Website legislature.maine.gov