Preventing Our Maine Lakes From Becoming Polluted

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May 9, 2012

Preventing Our Maine Lakes From Becoming Polluted

 

Pleasant Mountain and Moose Pond in Denmark, Maine

Our Maine lakes and ponds are beautiful, but they are also quite fragile. Surrounded by a watershed–all the land area that drains or sheds its water into the lake or pond–it’s easy for toxic substances to enter them and remain for a long time.



As lakefront property owners, it’s important that we work together to make sure the water is not polluted. Pollution comes from two sources:

•    Point Source–from waste outlets where contaminants are poured or dumped into them, e.g. substances flow through pipes leading from a building directly into the lake.
•    Non-point Sources–air pollution, rain and run-off.
Pollutants include nutrients, gas/oil and chemicals/metals. Of all the pollutants, the nutrient phosphorus is of the most concern. Phosphorus is an important nutrient that occurs in different forms throughout the environment. Since our lakes and ponds are already filled with nutrients, adding more phosphorus to the mix through such things as fertilizers, overstimulates the growth of algae and aquatic plants. Excessive growth of these types of organisms consequently clogs our waterways, uses up dissolved oxygen as they decompose, and blocks light to deeper waters. Muddy water is phosphorus laden water.
Developed areas, which have more impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways, roof tops, etc. have more storm water run-off. Poor ditching and poor drainage along roads and driveways, failing septic systems and the use of fertilizers also add to the phosphorus levels. It doesn’t take much phosphorus to cause an algae bloom, thus decreasing the water quality.
Five to ten times more phosphorus comes from these developed watersheds. In contrast, forested watersheds filter storm water naturally though pine needles, leaves and other vegetated buffers that slow runoff.
To prevent pollution from occurring, it’s important for waterfront property owners to keep soil from running into the lakes. Take a look at your lakefront real estate and identify sources of erosion, e.g. exposed roots and stones, road ruts, bare soil, accumulated or transported sediment and deltas in the lake.
Fixes include using phosphorus-free fertilizer if you must fertilize, directing run-off to stable vegetation by creating meandering footpaths to the lake, installing a drip edge trench along the drip line of a house without a gutter, using a rain barrel to capture water, planting vegetated buffers, crowning a road or driveway, or installing runoff diverters such as rubber razors or open-top culverts.
FMI: Maine DEP, your local lakefront association, Lakes Environmental Association, UMaine Cooperative Extension Service.
Maine has the cleanest lakes in the nation, but . . . we can help prevent algae blooms by keeping phosphorus from reaching the lakes in the first place.
To view lakefront property listings for sale on Moose Pond in Bridgton, Denmark and Sweden, just click on the green box above.
To learn more about other lakes and ponds with above average water quality, check out these links:
Echo Lake, Torsey Pond and Lovejoy Pond form a Pristine Triangle in Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine
Hancock Pond and Sands Pond, Denmark, Maine–Two for One for Lakefront Property Owners

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