The West Harbor Pond Watershed Association’s steering committee for an upcoming watershed survey met for the first time on Friday, April 13 at the Boothbay Region Water District. In attendance were WHPWA President Leslie Volpe, member Merritt Blakeslee, Department of Environmental Protection environmental specialist John Maclaine, Boothbay Region Water District Natural Resources Program Manager Sue Mello, and Boothbay Harbor Selectman Mike Tomko.

At recent Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay selectmen’s meetings, Volpe explained the survey is a prerequisite to applying for a Section 319 grant which could potentially provide the funds to correct any non-point source pollution sites the survey finds, and fund a replacement or repair of the 138-year-old siphon that no longer works.

Volpe said the survey will take place in June and must be planned with enough notice to property owners of the reasons for it, when it will occur, and what they need to know about the process and potential findings.

Tomko asked Maclaine if surveyors will suggest remedies for any problems found.

“Because I think the first thing a homeowner would do is be horrified that someone is going to tell them they have to spend $10,000,” said Tomko.

“That’s a good point,” Maclaine said. “It’s all meant to be a cooperative survey … We tell people that nothing about this is meant to be an enforcement action or is going to be reported to any agency. It’s data collection to find out where those sources are. Nobody’s going to be required to spend any money or even fix anything.”

Maclaine said completing the survey and preparing a watershed management plan based on the data will allow the WHPWA to apply for grants toward fixing any issues the survey might find. He said part of the training for the volunteers surveying the properties will be to suggest fixes for the various issues that may be found. For example, erosion caused by drip line trenches – rainfall runoff from rooflines – can often be fixed by installing gutter drainage or lining the trench with gravel which some homeowners may be apt to decide to do themselves. Each site identified in the survey as a potential issue will be addressed in the survey report, where potential fixes will be listed.

For those who cannot afford the materials, labor, or both, Maclaine said there are typically a variety of ways to help landowners such as matching costs, providing materials to landowners’ labor, or paying outright for major and costly projects.

Blakeslee asked Maclaine to clarify the relationship between non-point source pollution, runoff, and erosion because the WHPWA has been most worried about erosion in the watershed and on the banks of the pond. Maclaine said non-point source pollution, such as phosphorous, can be carried by runoff which is created by soil erosion.

“The reason we focus on erosion is that soil is one of the largest pollutants to water in the state,” said Maclaine. “It contains phosphorous, so when the water flows across it, the soil particles can act like magnets and grab phosphorous … and bring it into the water.”

Maclaine said the survey will open with a two-hour training period on how to identify potential non-point source pollution sites and how to log the information. For the most part, the survey will concentrate on developed areas – roads, residential areas, and stream crossings – and on identifying areas subject to erosion – ditches, streams, and shoreline lacking buffers.

Maclaine said since West Harbor Pond is fairly small, it might be appropriate for the group to split the survey into four sectors with each group led by a technical leader logging the information and positioning GPS coordinates of each pollution site. Mello identified herself as one, as well as Rebecca Jacobs of Knox/Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District. Volpe said the survey already has nine volunteers and she is confident more will join by June.

Surveyors will approach properties door to door speaking with homeowners and providing education on the survey. Maclaine said this provides a good chance for the face to face communication that notices and letters do not provide.

The final survey report will contain ratings of high, medium or low for each identified potential non-point source pollution site, costs of fixing the sites, and methods of identifying a rating to cost ratio.

Roadways, especially unpaved roads, will be the primary focus according to Maclaine. Surveyors will look for issues such as sediment collecting near the road and will follow the runoff to try to identify the source of the problem. Maclaine said since the survey will look mostly at human impacts, undeveloped properties will be the least of priorities.

After data is gathered, a report will be created and will include all, if any, of the non-point source pollution sites and what sort of developments they may be related to. The report will also include how pollution sites will be addressed and the associated costs. Once the report is compiled, the steering committee will begin work on a management plan. That plan will then be forwarded to the Maine DEP and the EPA. Once the plan is accepted, the WHPWA will be eligible to apply for a 319 grant.

Volpe said she would expect the entire process to obtain the grant to take around one year, including all data-gathering, the report formation, the application, and the grant.

Tomko asked Volpe and Blakeslee what the long term standards or goals are for West Harbor Pond. Volpe said the pond is considered threatened, so the long term goal is to get it off that list of threatened freshwater sources. Blakeslee said it would be nice to eventually see the pond on the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife list for ponds it regularly stocks with fish.

Said Volpe, “We want to be considered a healthy pond … The survey is going to help us identify any other issues besides the big issue we know about … That would be our gold star.”