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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing
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McGrath/Salmon Meets In North Belgrade
Double D's was the setting for the July 23 Annual Meeting of the McGrath Pond/Salmon Lake Association, and of a delicious sandwich buffet put on by Double D's before the business meeting began. Reporting that 400 property owners are on the McGrath Pond/Salmon Lake mailing list and 85 are members of the Association, outgoing President Mark Gray commended "our highly paid professionals," the volunteers, for the outstanding commitment they represent by being on the Board of Directors, serving on committees, testing water quality, placing and removing the markers in the channel each season, and donating time as boat inspectors to help curtail the introduction of invasive aquatic plants into McGrath Pond and Salmon Lake. The first presentation was by incoming President Ron Purnell, who monitors water quality on McGrath Pond. Chuck Lakin serves in the same capacity on Salmon Lake. Water quality monitoring data has been collected from both lakes since 1975; specific data and graphs were passed out at the meeting and are available through the lake association. In general terms water quality is below average in Salmon Lake and slightly above average in McGrath Pond. According to Lakin, last year's phosphorus levels were at 17 p.p.b. (parts per billion); the acceptable level is 15 p.p.b. Additionally there is cloudlike algae in Salmon Lake this year.
"Since everything we do wrong goes into Salmon," commented Purnell, he questioned why Salmon is under-represented in the organization. "It's in their best interests to belong." Why? For every three feet of water clarity lost, the value of property decreases 20%. More importantly, property values go up as water quality increases. Guest speaker Mike Little from the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance gave an update on BRCA activities. Milfoil inspections are being conducted on all public boat ramps seven days a week and detection dives have been or will be undertaken on all lakes during the season. "If we find an infestation, we can get on it early," stated Little, adding, "Anything foreign on a boat or trailer — get it off." The Conservation Corps is hard at work again this summer, Little pointed out. The word is getting out about Non-Point Source pollution, he feels, but we need to think about watershed wide erosion control. We also need to develop a watershed wide land protection plan, by putting land into conservation easements and land trusts, stated Little. The BRCA is looking for large parcels. Jennifer McLean from the Kennebec County Soil & Conservation District spoke about the Watershed Project which is in its third phase of funding under a 319 Grant. 319 is a state-managed grant program funded by the Federal Clean Water Act for Non Point Source (indirect) runoff pollution. Of a $50,000 cost-share total, $30,000 is going for improvement projects on a hoped-for 20 properties, with grant monies reimbursing between 25 and 75 percent of the project costs. The first two phases of the McGrath/Salmon NPS project resulted in over 50 sites repaired and prevented an estimated 56 tons of sediment from entering the lakes. For more information, contact the KCS&WCD at The DEP wants to concentrate resources where the program has already worked, explained McLean. For an overall strategy, we have to fight on all fronts. Spread the news to your neighbors and also to town management, since towns are often involved in 319 grants. The final speaker of the meeting was Don Borman concerning the BRCA Golf Tournament and Dinner at the Village Inn on Wednesday, August 17. To date 12 corporate sponsors have signed on to the tournament; individuals are also welcome at $500 each; 12 people (1½ tables) from the McGrath Pond/Salmon Lake Association have reserved dinner tickets. The goal of this 10th Anniversary celebration for the Conservation Corps is to raise $70,000. One half will go to the Conservation Corps and one half to the associations — $7,000 each. Following the election of officers, the Annual Meeting ended with members asking questions and voicing their concerns, primarily water levels and dam control. It was an excellent meeting considering that 80% of the shorefront property owners, not to mention the many Maine citizens who use these two lakes, have entrusted their most priceless asset to 20% of their fellow lake dwellers, when for a mere $25.00 they could be a closer part of its management. | ||
