Togus Pond Development Surveys

1. Togus Pond Development Surveys Lauren Wolpin

2. Development Overview • Shoreland Zoning Regulations • Wastewater Disposal • Development Survey • Buffer Strip Survey • Roads • Future Development

3. Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act • Rural Ponds District • Municipal Ordinances • Setback • Shore frontage • Lot size • Area of impervious surface • Non-conformance

4. Togus Pond Septic Systems • Shoreland challenges • Water table • Shoreline erosion • Winterization of camps • Grandfathered systems

5. Togus Pond Septic Systems • Remediation • Water conservation • Regular pumping • Landscape improvements • New construction

6. Development Survey Number of Houses Location

7. Buffer Strips

8. 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

9. Togus Pond Buffer Strips Buffer Rating •Fail •Poor •Fair •Good Inadequate buffer strips are a problem

10. Camp Roads • Soil erosion is a major contributor of phosphorus • Proximity to lake is a concern

11. Maintenance Matters! Well-maintained culvert Poorly-maintained culvert

12. Berms prevent water from leaving the roadbed

13. Erosion on Ingraham Mountain Road

14. Road Survey Results • Poor roads in Northwest corner • Most roads acceptable or good • Culverts most common problem

15. Steep Driveways • Identified problem driveways • Many lead straight into the lake • Steep slopes lead to erosion • Tasker Road, Hayes Road, Albee Road

16. Future Development • Land clearing on Young Road • Commercial areas • Golf course • Pipeline and Gerabro Acre Roads

17. Kara Lanahan Phosphorus Budget

18. Phosphorus Overview • Background and history • Current nutrient status • Phosphorus budget

19. Phosphorus Background • Culturaleutrophication • Secchi disk transparency < 2 m • Phosphorus concentration > 15 ppb

20. Historical Phosphorus

21. Phosphorus: Results • Mean phosphorus: 28 ppb • Trophic State Index (TSI): 67 • East Pond TSI = 64 • Great Pond TSI = 39

22. Summer Phosphorus Levels

23. 401 ppb

24. Phosphorus Budget • What is it? • How is it calculated? • What does it mean in terms of lake health?

25. Diagram of a phosphorus budget Togus flushing rate = 0.81

26. Calculating the budget W = external P load + internal P load W is the annual P load (kg/yr)

27. Watershed land use Coefficient Land area Septic systems Soil retention Occupancy rates Internal recycling and sediment release Anoxia Water quality Components of the phosphorus budget

28. Sediment Release

29. 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 Phosphorus Model Results

30. Percent contribution of all land use types

31. Total Phosphorus Loading Results • Total external load (direct watershed): 410 kg/yr • Forest: 107 kg/yr or 25-26% of total P load • Shoreline septic tanks: 96 kg/yr or 23% • Shoreline development: 56 kg/yr or 14% • Sediment release contributed the most phosphorus: 328 kg/yr

32. What about phosphorus in other Central Maine lakes?

33. What needs to change to improve lake health? • Decrease inputs from watershed • Decrease internal loading through remediation

34. Where will this reduction come from? • Shoreline septic tanks • Minimize shoreline development

35. Phosphorus Model Conclusions • Most of Togus Pond’s phosphorus comes from internal recycling and sediment release • The external load must be reduced first P

36. In Lake Remediation Wendy Sicard

37. Nutrient Control Techniques Possible for Togus Pond • Alum Treatment • Water Drawdown • Biomanipulation • Vegetative Mats

38. Alum Treatment • Aluminum sulfate binds with P • Effective for internal P loading

39. Alum Treatment • Can last <1 year to 20 years • Costly: average $450 per acre • Testing and monitoring

40. Manipulation of Fish Stocks • Lower algae by increasing algae- consuming zooplankton • Reduce planktivorous fish or restock piscivorous fish • Comparatively inexpensive

41. Water Drawdown • Removal of nutrient-rich water • Modification of culvert and dam

42. Vegetative Mats • Absorb nutrients in contained rafts • Provide cover for zooplankton • Harvest and compost

43. Solutions for Togus Pond • Stop inflow • Funding • Research of effects • Multi-step approaches

44. Recommendations Rob Mehlich

45. Recommendations overview • Watershed management • In-lake management • Monitoring and regulations • Community awareness and education • Grants and funding

46. Watershed Management • Buffer strips and erosion • Impervious surfaces • Coverage and depth • Rip rap • Roads • Maintenance • Limited and monitored construction

47. Watershed Management • Septic systems • Old systems • Pump outs • Upgrades • Land use • Enforcement • Deforestation

48. In-Lake Management • Implementation of applicable remediation techniques • Continued watershed management • Studies and monitoring of remediation

49. Monitoring and Regulations • Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program • Worromontogus Lake Association • Wetlands protection

50. 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