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

Development Survey

Location

Nu

mb

er o

f H

ouse

s

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

Inadequate buffer strips are a problem

Buffer Rating• Fail

• Poor

• Fair

• Good

Camp Roads

• Soil erosion is a major contributor of phosphorus

• Proximity to lake is a concern

Well-maintained culvert Poorly-maintained culvert

Maintenance Matters!

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

• Background and history

• Current nutrient status

• Phosphorus budget

Phosphorus Overview

• Cultural eutrophication

• Secchi disk transparency < 2 m

• Phosphorus concentration > 15 ppb

Phosphorus Background

Historical Phosphorus

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1999

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Total Phosphorus (ppb)

Summer

Fall

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Phosphorus: Results

• Mean phosphorus: 28 ppb

• Trophic State Index (TSI): 67– East Pond TSI = 64– Great Pond TSI = 39

Summer Phosphorus Levels

9-Jun-2004

23-Jun-2004

7-Jul-2004

21-Jul-2004

3-Aug-2004

16-Aug-2004

20-Sep-2004

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35Total phosphorus (ppb)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Surface Mid-depth Bottom

Figure 26. Distribution of total phosphorus at Site 1 by depth. Site 1 has adepth of 14.7 m. See Togus Pond Site map for location of Site 1 (Figure 11).

401 ppb

• What is it?

• How is it calculated?

• What does it mean in terms of lake health?

Phosphorus Budget

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Togus flushing rate = 0.81

Diagram of a phosphorus budget

W = external P load + internal P load

W is the annual P load (kg/yr)

Calculating the budget

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

Phosphorus Model Results

Total Phosphorus load

• Best 794 kg P/ year

• High 1169 kg P/year

• Low 392 kg P/year

Total concentration

• Best 19 ppb

• High 28 ppb

• Low 9 ppb

Percent contribution of all land use types

12%

2%

25%

1%9%5%4%

1%

14%

3%

23%

1%

0.3%

Atmospheric InputMature forestOld FieldForestWetlandsCleared LandCommercialCamp RoadsRoadsHaylandShoreline DevelopmentNon-shoreline DevelopmentShoreline Septic SystemsNon-shoreline Septic Systems

• 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

Total Phosphorus Loading Results

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 about phosphorus in other Central Maine lakes?

• Decrease inputs from watershed

• Decrease internal loading through remediation

What needs to change to improve lake health?

• Shoreline septic tanks

• Minimize shoreline development

Where will this reduction come from?

• Most of Togus Pond’s phosphorus comes from internal recycling and sediment release

• The external load must be reduced first

Phosphorus Model Conclusions

In Lake Remediation

Wendy Sicard

Nutrient Control Techniques Possible for Togus Pond

• Alum Treatment

• Water Drawdown

• Biomanipulation

• 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

• Remediation techniques may help reduce the phosphorus that is already stored in the lake sediments.– Alum treatment – Fish stock manipulation– Drawdown– Vegetative mats

Summary

AcknowledgementsWe 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 ProtectionRussell Cole, Colby CollegePaul Connolly, Togus Pond ResidentDennis Curtis, Togus Pond ResidentFred Dillon, Maine Association of Conservation DistrictsRichard Dolby, Director of Code EnforcementDavid Firmage, Colby CollegeRoger Gagnon, Togus Pond ResidentDavid Halliwell, Maine Department of Environmental Protection Rebecca Manthy, China Lakes AllianceJeff Norton, Elma’s Tackle and Hunting Supply StoreJohn Pucciarelli, President of the Worromontogus Pond AssociationGeorge Soucy, Code Enforcement OfficerNate Sylvester, Lakes Program, Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation DistrictDan Tierney, Colby CollegeBill Woodward, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and WildlifeBobby Van-Riper, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and WildlifeAugusta Town OfficeMaine Department of Environmental ProtectionMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife StaffMaine Soil and Water Conservation Staff

Questions