Lake Sedimentation and Land Use Change in Medomak and Sennebec Watersheds, Coastal Maine

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to quantify land use change in two coastal New England watersheds using lake core analysis, orthorectified historic aerial imagery, and data from the National Land Cover Database (NCLD). The study covers Sennebec and Medomak ponds in coastal Maine, which lie between the Penobscot Bay and the southern stretch of the Kennebec River. With lake cores recording >800 years (Sennebec) and >1600 years (Medomak), the timeframe of this study spans from the era of Indigenous populations, through the period of EuroAmerican settlement, and into the modern day, to provide insight into the interactions between humans and watershed dynamics through time.