Taylor Pond Water Quality Changed Little in 2006
by Dana Little
The water quality assessment program for Taylor Pond continues to find no significant
change in water quality. This is a good
news/bad news situation. The good news
is that the total phosphorous level measured 11, identical to the average since
we have taken measurements starting in 1975. This level of phosphorous compares favorably to the average level for
all Maine lakes of 12. Taylor Pond
Association continues to monitor the water quality throughout the open-water
season with volunteers Ralph Gould and myself. We report our results to the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program which
certifies our technique and reports the data to the state.
The bad news is that Taylor Pond continues to fail to meet
the standards for the highest water quality due to a lack of oxygen found at
depths below 15 feet. Trout and salmon
cannot survive in Taylor Pond because they need the cool water found only below
15 feet, which in our pond does not contain enough oxygen. Although Taylor Pond does not support a
cool-water fishery, warm-water fish such as small-mouth bass, northern pike and
pickerel thrive in the shallow waters of our pond. Furthermore, Taylor Pond serves the
Department of Marine Resources as a highly valued nursery for alewives.
The take home lesson is that we who live within Taylor Pond’s watershed need to remain vigilant. It is virtually impossible to correct the phosphorous or oxygen levels of a lake once they have slipped past the critical point. We especially need to remain aware of activities that can increase phosphorous in the pond, because algal blooms can develop when phosphorous levels reach a threshold of fifteen. Are any of the following true of your property or your neighbors?
- A building project on the pond or within a half mile from it
- Soil erosion at the base of a gutter spout
- A dirt road where storm water cuts a channel across the road’s surface on its way to the lake
- Use of lawn fertilizers
All of the above can increase the pond's phosphorous
levels. A wide natural buffer zone
between the pond and your home remains the best defense against water
pollution. Believe it or not, merely
deciding to stop mowing within 15 feet of the shoreline is of huge benefit to
the lake. It is the first step in
creating a natural buffer zone.
Please visit www.taylorpondassociation.org
and other websites to acquaint yourself with established “best practice”
recommendations to handle the above situations. In this very issue, the article “Going Underground” treats the subject
of gutter spout erosion and a “best practice” way to eliminate it. Furthermore, Maine DEP’s LakeSmart program is essentially one of homeowner education. Taking part in this program is also a great
way to be coached in the best practices of watershed property maintenance.
You can read the full 2006 Water Quality Report by clicking here.