CAMDEN — At the beginning of June, outgoing Megunticook Lake Warden Justin Twitchell will hand over the keys of the Megunticook Watershed Association’s Triumph lake patrol boat to incoming Lake Warden Dale Dougherty.

The MWA Board of Directors made the announcement of Dougherty’s hiring on Monday, April 25.

When asked what he thinks his biggest challenge will be, Dougherty said, "I don't think I can answer that question yet. I'm still working with Justin, learning the job."

He said that while the job encompasses both law enforcement and environmental concerns, he anticipates, through experience, that the lake will continue to be a quiet place in many ways.

"I don't think the law enforcement side is all that big of a deal. I'm the cop in the rear view mirror, but I'm not going to go out and chase everybody down and check for life jackets. I trust that when I'm around, people will behave," said Dougherty.

He also said that he knows he will have his fair share of requests for towing broken-down boats, as he has learned thus far that Twitchell has had his fair share of them to deal with over the past few years he has been the lake warden, succeeding Bailey who died in July 2012.

When it comes to the environment, Dougherty said he will collect samples, but leave water quality and plant testing and concerns to Megunticook Watershed Association Executive Director Paul Leeper to handle.

A big part of what he has been doing with Twitchell thus far has been going around, getting to know the islands and his territory better. He's seen plenty of wildlife along the way, including beaver, turtles, loons and all kinds of duck. So far, he said he has not seen any deer on the shores, and he has not spotted the eagle that Bailey used to see nesting annually on the north side of the lake.

A Camden native, Dougherty is a familiar face in the Midcoast having spent more than 20 years as the head alpine ski coach at Camden-Rockport High School as well working in the marine trade for many years, including captaining boats out of Islesboro and Camden.

He also grew up on the Megunticook Lake and Norton Pond, fishing, hunting and boating. And according to Leeper, he is the son of Carleton Dougherty, a founding member of the Association.

Good friends with former longtime lake warden Ken Bailey, Dougherty helped Bailey many times over the years "rescuing" loose boats and floats, and cleaning up the shoreline of old foam, floating lumber and trees and anything they found that shouldn't be there.

In the release, Dougherty said he "hopes he can continue the great work started by Ken Bailey, and continued by Justin, keeping the Megunticook Watershed a safe and beautiful place to live, work and play for all."

The MWA is devoted to environmental preservation and improvement. The MWA's mission is to maintain and better the quality of Megunticook Lake, Megunticook River, Norton Pond and Moody Pond, and their feeder streams in Knox and Waldo counties. FMI: www.megunticook.org