2020 McGrath Pond-Salmon Lake Association annual report
McGrath Pond-Salmon Lake Association works to improve water quality and build community, educating people about best management practices, encouraging participation in lake stewardship, and informing members of threats to water quality and the lake environment. In 1998, we embarked on a comprehensive watershed survey to learn where nutrient-rich runoff was entering the lakes, especially during storm events. As a result, problems on more than 100 shoreline properties were remediated, saving about 14 tons of nutrient-rich runoff from reaching the lakes during the next two decades.
A second comprehensive watershed survey in 2017 revealed 105 properties needing improvement to prevent runoff from causing water problems such as algal blooms. We are working with 7 Lakes Alliance, the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), the Maine DEP (under federal grants), and using funds from the towns of Belgrade and Oakland to work with shoreline property owners to remediate problems.
Our thanks to the citizens of Belgrade for the $2,500 the Town contributed toward this effort during the past year. The goal is to keep phosphorous and other nutrients from running into the lakes during storms because that feeds algae, diminishing enjoyment of the water and damaging fisheries. All of that lowers property values and ultimately affects the town’s tax base.
The town’s funding also supports courtesy boat inspections (CBI), the YCC’s work, and LakeSmart programs. CBIs take place throughout the summer at the public boat landing on Salmon Lake. Inspectors stop the introduction of invasive plants into the lake and educate boat-owners about prevention. The YCC installs stormwater runoff controls such as water-diversion bars, vegetative buffers, infiltration steps, and erosion-control mulch. The idea is to deflect or slow water so it settles into the earth before reaching the lakes. The LakeSmart program evaluates shoreline properties to help owners make them more lake-friendly and beautiful. To date, our team has performed 50 evaluations and awarded 26 certifications, with more evaluations lined up for this summer.
The pandemic year was challenging. Our inability to gather has hindered many of our regular activities, including our summertime annual meeting. But we did hold that successfully as a Zoom webinar in early August. We look forward to continuing our efforts in person as the pandemic abates in 2021.
Board of Directors: Lenny Reich, President; Bill Scott, Vice President; Bonnie Sammons, Secretary; Robyn Deveney, Treasurer; Bob Ray, Webmaster; Neil Korostoff, Harvey Morrill, Craig Allen, Kim Hallee, Cam McCafferty, Reneé McCafferty
LakeSmart evaluators: Dave Hallee, Kim Hallee