8615-R4_ML&P_LSLA_2024_SummerNewsletter_Web

Watershed Update Layne Albert

appropriately and remediate NPS pollution sources and we will have high quality water in our lake. Our goals regarding LakeSmart are; • Encourage widespread participation in the LakeSmart program, • Recruit and train volunteers to perform evaluations, • Assist in the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) designed to mitigate runoff pollution, and • Document the projects, start to finish, to facilitate grant applications to help fund more watershed protection projects. Watershed Protection Plan From a more long-term perspective, we will continue to partner with the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District and the DEP to freshen up and reactivate the Little Sebago Lake Watershed Protection Plan. The plan lays out a strategy and schedule for non-point source (NPS) mitigation and water quality protection efforts. In 2002 and 2003, the entire watershed (13.3 square miles – keep in mind our lake is three square miles – so you can see how much of a larger area impacts our water quality) was surveyed for sources of NPS pollution (polluted runoff into the lake). A total of 312 NPS sites were identified. The greatest number of sites were identified on RESIDENTIAL properties (160) which accounted for about 51% of sites documented. The next most documented land uses were private road sites, which accounted for 19% of all sites identified (60) and driveway, which accounted for 13% of all sites identified (39). The remaining 17% of sites identified were associated with town roads (13), construction sites (11), beach access sites (9), rights-of-way (8), boat access (7), trails/paths (3), agriculture (1) and lodging (1).

Long-term Goals

As part of the Little Sebago Lake Conservation Project – Phase III, every site identified in the 2002 and 2003 survey was re-surveyed in 2012. All the original and updated survey results were entered into an MDEP (Maine Department of Environmental Protection) NPS Site Tracker database. This database includes information on sites that have been addressed over the past ten years (what was done, approximate cost, method in which addressed (such as a Youth Conservation Corps project or a 319-Grant implementation project), and current site condition. The 2012 survey showed that many the sites documented in the original surveys have been addressed through grant projects and/or landowner initiative, yet there are still 165 sites remaining. RESIDENTIAL properties (57%), private roads (19%), and driveways (16%) accounted for most of the sites remaining to be addressed from the 2012 survey. We have work to do on the Watershed Protection Plan including identifying the 165 sites from the 2012 survey to see if any have been remediated already and documenting the results, identifying any new sources of NPS pollution and prioritizing the remaining NPS sites

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