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Crystal Lake in Harrison Not So Crystal

July 22, 2010 - HARRISON -- Crystal Lake Beach has been closed until further notice after extremely high levels of e-coliform bacteria were found in water samples taken Monday. More extensive tests were expected to be done Wednesday to determine the cause, and the town's swimming program will be moved to Long Lake until the town-owned Crystal Lake beach is deemed safe to reopen.


Town Manager Brad Plante said e-coliform levels at the beach tested 1,733 parts per 100 million, over seven times higher than acceptable levels of 236 parts per 100 million. "The numbers are through the roof," he told selectmen Tuesday. "We've got a problem." He said the tests showed e-coliform, not e.coli as has been reported by some news outlets. Testing done at Long Lake Beach showed no detectable bacteria, so that beach is safe for swimming.


Plante was asked to contact the owners of Vacationland Campground and Camp Pinecliffe on Crystal Lake to tell them personally about the problem, and suggest they do water testing if they haven't already done so. The board stopped short of taking responsibility for testing on their behalf or on behalf of lakefront property owners, but did agree that they should be aware of the problem.


Crystal Lake Beach is located at the end of the lake, where currents drift before the water flows through a dam and crosses Route 117 and on to Long Lake. A large storm drain is located nearby. Plante said he didn't expect bacteria levels to be a problem at the upper end of the lake. Warm weather and lack of rain may have contributed to the high bacteria levels, along with human waste from high usage during the recent Harrison Old Home Days.


Another problem is ducks that gather on the beach and are sometimes fed by the public, Plante said. He said he and Code Enforcement Officer John Wentworth were standing on the beach Tuesday, and "the ducks came right over. They thought they were going to be fed. People have got to stop feeding the ducks."


Wednesday's tests were expected to be done on areas to the left and right of the beach, and also in the small cove area between the beach and town dock.


Monday's tests were the first done this season, and should have been done before the Fourth of July, he said. Testing supplies had been ordered from elsewhere in the state but hadn't arrived, and it wasn't until Town Clerk Judy Colburn told Plante that the Paris Utility District does water testing that the supplies were obtained for the testing, at $20 a kit.


Plante said the incident points up the need to have the town institute a regular schedule for testing the water at Crystal Lake Beach throughout the summer. He said he would be testing at the Tie-Up on Long Lake as well.


Recreation Director Paula Holt and a woman who runs the swim program said they routinely patrol the beach, looking for signs of "human mess" in attempts to keep the beach clean. They found a lot of discarded sanitary items and other waste around the time of Old Home Days, and urged Plante to have the testing done.


Plante will be working with Colin Holme of the Lakes Environmental Association on the problem, and the town's health officer is also involved, he said.


by Gail Geraghty, The Bridgton News, July 22, 2010


Lakes: Crystal Lake
Regions: Sebago


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