Lake Auburn saw ice-out March 12, the earliest ever recorded since 1836, according to Erica Kidd, watershed manager for the Auburn Water and Sewage Districts and Lewiston Water Division.
The records fell during a year in which most of Maine's lakes and ponds saw very short periods of ice cover due to a mild winter, but that has local water quality experts on guard as spring and summer arrive.
Maine's water quality is particularly good, largely due to its cold climate. But data indicates that as the state's winters grow warmer, the periods of ice cover which protects the state's lakes are shrinking.
Climate change has been contributing to worsening water quality in Lake Auburn, as winter ice cover diminishes, and water temperatures are rising, giving algae more time to grow. And more extreme storm events can dump sediment and runoff which further degrade water quality.