Togus Pond Development
Surveys
Lauren Wolpin
Development Overview
• Shoreland Zoning
Regulations
• Wastewater Disposal
• Development Survey
• Buffer Strip Survey
• Roads
• Future Development
Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act
• Rural Ponds District
• Municipal Ordinances
–
–
–
–
Setback
Shore frontage
Lot size
Area of impervious
surface
• Non-conformance
Togus Pond Septic Systems
• Shoreland challenges
– Water table
– Shoreline erosion
– Winterization of
camps
– Grandfathered
systems
Togus Pond Septic Systems
• Remediation
–
–
–
–
Water conservation
Regular pumping
Landscape improvements
New construction
Number of Houses
Development Survey
Location
Buffer Strips
Well-buffered home
• Almost full lakeshore
coverage
• Mix of trees and shrubs
• Rip rap
• Could be better
Poorly-buffered home
•
•
•
•
House very close to water
Exposed soil
No shrubs, few trees
Rip rap incomplete
Togus Pond
Buffer Strips
Buffer Rating
Inadequate buffer
strips are a problem
• Fail
• Poor
• Fair
• Good
Camp Roads
• Soil erosion is a
major contributor of
phosphorus
• Proximity to lake is
a concern
Maintenance Matters!
Well-maintained culvert
Poorly-maintained culvert
Berms prevent water from leaving the roadbed
Erosion on Ingraham Mountain Road
Road Survey
Results
• Poor roads in
Northwest corner
• Most roads
acceptable or good
• Culverts most
common problem
Steep Driveways
• Identified problem
driveways
• Many lead straight into the
lake
• Steep slopes lead to
erosion
• Tasker Road, Hayes Road,
Albee Road
Future Development
• Land clearing on
Young Road
• Commercial areas
• Golf course
• Pipeline and Gerabro
Acre Roads
Phosphorus Budget
Kara Lanahan
Phosphorus Overview
• Background and history
• Current nutrient status
• Phosphorus budget
Phosphorus Background
• Cultural eutrophication
• Secchi disk transparency < 2 m
• Phosphorus concentration > 15 ppb
Historical Phosphorus
1999
1991
1990
Fall
1989
1988
1987
1981
1980
1979
Summer
1978
1977
1976
0
10
20
30 40 50 60 70
Total Phosphorus (ppb)
80
90
100
Phosphorus: Results
• Mean phosphorus: 28 ppb
• Trophic State Index (TSI): 67
– East Pond TSI = 64
– Great Pond TSI = 39
QuickTime™ and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.
Summer Phosphorus Levels
20-Sep-2004
16-Aug-2004
3-Aug-2004
21-Jul-2004
7-Jul-2004
23-Jun-2004
9-Jun-2004
0
5
10
15
20
25
Total phosphorus (ppb)
30
35
Bottom
20-Sep-2004
16-Aug-2004
Mid-depth
3-Aug-2004
21-Jul-2004
Surface
7-Jul-2004
400
23-Jun-2004
9-Jun-2004
Total Phosphorus (ppb)
450
401 ppb
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Phosphorus Budget
• What is it?
• How is it calculated?
• What does it mean in terms of lake health?
Diagram of a phosphorus budget
QuickTime™ and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.
Togus flushing rate = 0.81
Calculating the budget
W = external P load + internal P load
W is the annual P load (kg/yr)
Components of the phosphorus
budget
• Watershed land use
– Coefficient
– Land area
•
Septic systems
– Soil retention
– Occupancy rates
• Internal recycling and
sediment release
– Anoxia
– Water quality
Sediment Release
epilimnion
hypolimnion
Phosphorus Model Results
Total Phosphorus load
Total concentration
•
Best 794 kg P/ year
•
Best 19 ppb
•
High 1169 kg P/year
• High 28 ppb
•
Low 392 kg P/year
• Low 9 ppb
Percent contribution of all land
use types
1%
12%
23%
2%
3%
25%
14%
0.3%
1%
4%
5%
9%
1%
Atmospheric Input
Mature forest
Old Field
Forest
Wetlands
Cleared Land
Commercial
Camp Roads
Roads
Hayland
Shoreline Development
Non-shoreline Development
Shoreline Septic Systems
Non-shoreline Septic Systems
Total Phosphorus Loading Results
• Total external load (direct watershed): 410 kg/yr
1. Forest: 107 kg/yr or 25-26% of total P load
2. Shoreline septic tanks: 96 kg/yr or 23%
3. Shoreline development: 56 kg/yr or 14%
•
Sediment release contributed the most phosphorus:
328 kg/yr
What about phosphorus in other
Central Maine lakes?
P source Togus Pond Threemile Pond Webber Pond
1
Sediment
Release
Reverting land
Sediment
Release
2
Forest
Sediment
Release
Agriculture/
Golf course
3
Shoreline
septic tanks
Transitional
Forest
Threemile
Pond
What needs to change to improve
lake health?
• Decrease inputs from watershed
• Decrease internal loading through remediation
Where will this reduction come
from?
• Shoreline septic tanks
• Minimize shoreline
development
Phosphorus Model Conclusions
• Most of Togus Pond’s phosphorus comes
from internal recycling and sediment release
• The external load must be reduced first
In Lake Remediation
Wendy Sicard
Nutrient Control Techniques
Possible for Togus Pond
• Alum Treatment
• Biomanipulation
• Water Drawdown • Vegetative Mats
Alum Treatment
• Aluminum sulfate
binds with P
• Effective for
internal P loading
Alum Treatment
• Can last <1 year to
20 years
• Costly: average $450
per acre
• Testing and
monitoring
Manipulation of Fish Stocks
• Lower algae by increasing
algae- consuming
zooplankton
• Reduce planktivorous fish
or restock piscivorous fish
• Comparatively inexpensive
Water Drawdown
• Removal of
nutrient-rich water
• Modification of
culvert and dam
Vegetative Mats
• Absorb nutrients in
contained rafts
• Provide cover for
zooplankton
• Harvest and compost
Solutions for Togus Pond
• Stop inflow
• Funding
• Research of effects
• Multi-step
approaches
Recommendations
Rob Mehlich
Recommendations overview
•
•
•
•
•
Watershed management
In-lake management
Monitoring and regulations
Community awareness and education
Grants and funding
Watershed Management
• Buffer strips and erosion
– Impervious surfaces
– Coverage and depth
– Rip rap
• Roads
– Maintenance
– Limited and monitored construction
Watershed Management
• Septic systems
– Old systems
– Pump outs
– Upgrades
• Land use
– Enforcement
– Deforestation
In-Lake Management
• Implementation of applicable remediation
techniques
• Continued watershed management
• Studies and monitoring of remediation
Monitoring and Regulations
• Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program
• Worromontogus Lake Association
• Wetlands protection
Grants and Funding
• Maine Department of Environmental
Protection
– Nonpoint source water pollution control grants
– Small community grant programs
• Maine Department of Transportation
– Surface Water Quality Protection Program
Community Awareness
• Phosphorus free fertilizers
• Phosphorus free household detergents
Summary
Summary
• Eutrophication
• Phosphorus is entering the lake from soil
runoff and human uses of the land and from
sediment in the lake.
• This leads to algal blooms and a decrease in
water quality.
Summary
• Phosphorus that comes from sources outside
the lake should be reduced.
–
–
–
–
Buffer strips
Roads
Septic systems
Detergents, and fertilizers
Summary
• Remediation techniques may help reduce
the phosphorus that is already stored in the
lake sediments.
–
–
–
–
Alum treatment
Fish stock manipulation
Drawdown
Vegetative mats
Acknowledgements
We would like to give our thanks to the people and organizations that generously provided their time, knowledge, and support.
Thank you.
Roy Bouchard, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Russell Cole, Colby College
Paul Connolly, Togus Pond Resident
Dennis Curtis, Togus Pond Resident
Fred Dillon, Maine Association of Conservation Districts
Richard Dolby, Director of Code Enforcement
David Firmage, Colby College
Roger Gagnon, Togus Pond Resident
David Halliwell, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Rebecca Manthy, China Lakes Alliance
Jeff Norton, Elma’s Tackle and Hunting Supply Store
John Pucciarelli, President of the Worromontogus Pond Association
George Soucy, Code Enforcement Officer
Nate Sylvester, Lakes Program, Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation District
Dan Tierney, Colby College
Bill Woodward, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Bobby Van-Riper, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Augusta Town Office
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Staff
Maine Soil and Water Conservation Staff
Questions