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Lincolnville Pond Quality Surveyed this Spring

September 12, 2007 - Lincolnville -- Volunteers gathered at Coleman Pond this spring to aid in a survey identifying erosion and pollution problems within the pond's watershed. Many of the volunteers were Lincolnville residents, and spent the day trekking about the town documenting everything from collapsed culverts to clogged ditches.

Other volunteers were members of the Coleman Pond Association. Co-president Whitney Oppersdorf explained that the association has teamed up with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service to ensure the health of Coleman Pond and the surrounding waters. Members from the extension services statewide office facilitated the survey, conducted June 2, and helped locals identify areas affected by erosion draining into the watershed.

According to assistant scientist Laura Wilson from the Extension Services Water Quality office, the purpose of the survey is to help people learn to take care of the land in order to keep their watershed clean. "Overall we've got good water quality in Maine, and we want to keep it that way," she said.

Oppersdorf explained that specifically, the volunteers were to map possible entrance points for phosphorus into Coleman Pond. Phosphorus is a main ingredient in fertilizer, and Wilson explained its relevance to water health by saying "if it makes you lawns green, it makes your lakes green."

Excess phosphorus in a body of water can produce a breeding pool for algae, creating thick mats of scum on the water's surface. Wilson recalled one lake where the problem was so bad, rocks skipped across the water would not sink because there was so much floating algae.

Other watershed surveys are being conducted all over Maine for research and educational purposes. The extension service and local pond residents in Lincolnville hope the findings will raise community awareness of the impact humans can have on water quality, and promote better watershed management on an individual level. Wilson describes soil erosion as being "the number one problem for water pollution in Maine."

Storm water runoff from agriculture, logging, construction, and development sites can carry soil and phosphors straight into lakes and rivers if not controlled properly. Once introduced into the watershed, sediment can smother bottom life, stress fish gills, and reduce stream capacity, causing flooding. The Coleman Pond Association has been encouraging landowners to minimize the impacts of erosion coming from their property.

Erosion not only reduces the diversity of life in watersheds, but also can affect property values. When phosphorus enters water, it reduces water clarity. According to the extension service, Coleman Pond presently has an average of 6 feet of water clarity, which is considered acceptable. For every 3 feet of decline in water clarity, shorefront property values can decline as much as 20%.

The Extension Service and the Coleman Pond Association encourage everyone to take note of erosion rates on their own property. It is easy to assess where erosion has occurred when exposed roots and rocks become noticeable.

Exposed soil near any body of water is susceptible to flowing in. Eroded culverts and crowned roads can also be blamed for the transport of soil and excess nutrients. People can help stop this from happening by installing gutters and rain barrels, and planting water loving grasses and plants between exposed soil and streambeds. Another idea is to plant a "rain garden" which is watered with the rain diverted or drained from the rest of the property.

After the results of the survey are compiled, corrective action will be taken by water quality experts to identify and fix erosion problems in Coleman Pond. Wilson agrees, "Understanding how humans affect the health of the water helps us protect them."

This article first appeared in the Camden Herald, September 6, 2007.


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Regions: Downeast


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