Bear Pond Currents. June 2007

Transcription

1 Bear Pond Currents June 2007 President Mary Monahan Wallace Vice President Jim Adams Secretary Peggy Poskus Treasurer Connie Bilodeau Board Of Directors Bruce Goddard Dick Bray Ken Holt Pete Pilsbury Gerard Sampson, Jr Kent Mitchell Newsletter & Website Editor Rich Bray rnbrayjr@gmail.com Committee Chairs Dam - Carl Burden & Dale Twitchell Dam Fundraiser - Goddards Loon Nest - The Pilsburys Membership - Tim Verrill Monitors - R. Bray, K. Holt, K. Mitchell Other Important Numbers Hartford Town Office Turner Office Game Warden Several species of fish not native to Maine, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, and more recently black crappie and northern pike are being illegally stocked at an alarming rate. For example, between 1980 and 2000, bass became established in 196 new waters, an increase of about 47%. This expansion resulted almost entirely from illegal stockings. Over a 15 year period between 1985 and 2000 the number of new black crappie populations increased by 500% (from 13 to 64). Over a 4-year period between 2001 and 2004, the number of documented new northern pike populations has increased by 300% (from 9 to 30). The illegal stocking of northern pike has taken place at Bear Pond. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife confirmed the presence of northern pike in Bear Pond in their 2001 Plan for Northern Pike Management. Pike are now being caught frequently by anglers. These fish are voracious and grow to be quite large. In January, a monster 12 pound pike was caught in Little Bear by ice fisherman Erin Wood. Unfortunately, the illegal stocking of public waters represents one of the largest threats facing fisheries managers and traditional anglers. Without the support and coopera- (Continued on page 3) Bear Pond Currents Is The Seasonal Newsletter BPIA, P.O. Box 4 North Turner, ME Of The Bear Pond Improvement Association

2 2007 BPIA MEETINGS June 24, July 29, August 26 At Boofy Quimby Hall at 9:00 AM Fourth of July Boat Parade - July 4th at 2:00 PM (starts at Goodwin s) Pot Luck Supper & Auction - Saturday August 4th at 6:00 PM Visit the BPIA Website!! Remember To Pay 2007 Dues Please Send $25.00 To: BPIA, P.O. Box 4, North Turner, ME Name: Pond Address & Phone #: If Applicable, Permanent Address & Phone #: Page 2

3 June 2007 Bear Pond Improvement Association (Continued from page 1) tion of the angling public in addressing this invasion, many of the stocking and management programs will be destroyed. Furthermore, while the added fishing diversity offered by new species may be enjoyed by some, it usually exists at the expense of established sport fish populations. Unauthorized stockings of both native and non-native species are permanently altering the ecology of numerous lakes. New introductions compete with existing species for limited food and space, and may depress or altogether displace desirable native species. One example that has recently received media attention is the illegal introduction of smallmouth bass into the Umbagog Lake watershed, which includes the Rapid River. The Rapid River supports an excellent wild brook trout fishery that is jeopardized by the presence of smallmouth bass, which prey on trout and compete with them for food and space. Unfortunately, once established, there is usually little that can actually be done to compensate for the effects of new introductions. In response to this growing threat, new emergency legislation was recently adopted increasing penalties up to $10,000 (including suspension of fishing licenses) for stocking without a permit, or even for those found in possession of live fish (excluding baitfish) without necessary permits. Operation Game Thief ( ) is also offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of anyone responsible for the illegal introduction of fish into any Maine water. Erin Wood from Vermont caught this 36 inch 12 pound northern pike in Little Bear Pond on January 19th, Page 3

4 The following Lewiston Sun Journal articles describe the unfortunate situation with the Canton Lake dam. State Orders Dam Gates Kept Open By Mary Standard, Special to the Sun Journal Tuesday, May 22, 2007 CANTON - Anasagunticook Lake dam owner Raymond J. Fortier has been ordered by the state to leave the dam gates open because if they're closed as usual this spring the dam could break. In a letter from John W. Libby, commissioner of the state Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, dated May 8, Fortier was ordered to leave the dam's overflow sluice gates open, reversing the state's standing order that they be closed May 15 to raise the water level in the lake. Fortier has opened the gates as ordered, Town Administrative Assistant Kathy Hutchins said, and that has allowed the lake water level to drop 6 feet lower than the normal summer level. The state inspected the dam last year and concluded that the integrity, structural stability, function and operation of the dam constituted a threat to public safety. Libby determined that the spillway didn't have adequate capacity to handle flood waters without overtopping the earthen embankments, potentially causing the dam to burst. Libby also said additional fill material, which had been placed on top of the earthen dam, had not been called for, and it placed an additional load on the already unstable structure. Fortier was asked to repair and test the four spillway gates to ensure all were functional and could be raised in a timely manner, to have an emergency operational procedure for opening the spillway gates during flooding conditions, and to have a plan for reducing the height of all four spillway gates. Hearing on Canton Lake Dam Gets Heated By Mary Standard, Special to the Sun Journal Thursday, May 31, 2007 CANTON - More than 100 residents of Hartford and Canton packed the Canton Municipal building Wednesday night for a meeting with state officials on the opening of the dam gates at Lake Anasagunticook. The meeting was chaired by Maj. Gen. John Libby, commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. He opened the meeting by saying he ordered the dam gates open to protect life and property. State dam inspector Tony Fletcher confirmed that the dam is a significant hazard. Libby said the attorney general had approved his order to open the dam because the owner, Raymond Fortier, has not complied with, nor submitted a schedule for complying with, any of the terms of a December order that required Fortier to hire an engineer and come up with a plan to repair the dam. Libby stated in his order that the spillway does not have adequate capacity to handle outflow during flood conditions without overtopping the earthen embankments on both sides, potentially causing the dam to breach and flood areas below. He further stated that the placement of fill material along the top of the left bank placed an additional load on the structure that was already unstable. He concluded the dam was a threat to public safety and ordered the gates opened until repairs were made. Fortier claimed he has tried to get permits to fix the dam but the town wouldn't issue them. (Continued on page 5) Page 4

5 (Continued from page 4) Kathy Hutchins, town administrator, said the Planning Board had been trying for years to get Fortier to complete an application for a permit for repairs and he had not done so. Terri and Paul Bernier, who own the island in the lake, said they can't get their big boat in the water and a small one has to be taken out several feet from the island before they can run the motor. They are concerned that the island may be threatened because the rocks on which the lighthouse stands are being exposed and may compromise the island structure. Canton resident Michael Ranhoff has taken the initiative to try to find a solution. He said, "Since 1978, the dam has been a serious issue. The state has been aware and now the gates are open. Summer people are suffering. Why hasn't the state done something?" Libby responded, "I can't offer an acceptable explanation." With that, Ranhoff offered a solution. "I have spoken to a construction company that builds dams and they looked at constructing a coffer dam halfway up Whitney Brook," Ranhoff said. "I got an estimate of $5,600 and have donations to pay for this. It could be up in five days." A coffer dam would be a temporary fix until a more permanent solution could be found. Whitney Brook is the only outlet to the lake. Libby suggested that state Sen. Bruce Bryant could expedite the paperwork. Residents Rob Turnbull and Herb Harding reside on the pond part of the lake and both strongly objected to the suggestion of a coffer dam up Whitney Brook. They said it would drop their property value $100,000 because they wouldn't have water access. Jim Diamond, emergency management director for Canton, asked if Libby could order the dam fixed and charge Fortier. Leslie Poland picked up on this suggestion and said, "I know the state already has engineers who know what they are doing. Why not have them take over as engineer, create a plan and hire the work done with qualified people and charge Fortier?" At one point in the sometimes heated meeting, Fortier said he would sell the dam for $350,000 before repairs. He didn't have any takers. Libby summed up by saying, "You have every right to be disappointed in the state government because this problem has been going on so long. I will get immediate suggestions at the state level on how to get water level relief. I will run the coffer dam idea by the attorney general as a short-term solution." Selectman Rick Ray said he thinks the best solution is to get funding to build a new permanent dam further up Whitney Brook. In the next issue of Bear Pond Currents look for an article about the October 2006 rebuilding of the Bear Pond Dam. Page 5

6 The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME-DEP) and the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) have collaborated in the collection of lake data to evaluate water quality, track algal blooms, and determine water quality trends. This dataset does not include data for bacteria, mercury, or nutrients other than phosphorus. In 2006, the volunteer monitors (Ken Holt, Kent Mitchell, John Sabine and Rich Bray) performed testing on four dates from June to September. The monitors measured clarity using a Secchi disk, and they took samples for phosphorus and chlorophyll analysis. Phosphorus is a key nutrient for algae and it is often flushed into the lake from erosion and runoff. The lower the reading the better. Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in algae and the lower the reading the better. Both Big and Little Bear have better quality than the state averages for all lakes. The following are the ME-DEP summaries of the water quality. Big Bear Pond Water quality monitoring data have been collected on Big Bear Pond since During this period, 9 years of basic chemical information was collected in addition to Secchi Disk Transparencies (SDT). In summary, the water quality of Bear Pond is considered to be above average based on measures of SDT, total phosphorus (TP), and Chlorophylla (Chla). The potential for nuisance algae blooms on Big Bear Pond is low. Water Quality Measures: Bear Pond is a non-colored lake (average color 13 SPU) with an average Secchi reading of 5.7m (19ft). The range of phosphorus for Big Bear Pond is 6-11 parts per billion (ppb) with an average of 9 ppb (the State average is 12 ppb). Chlorophyll ranges from ppb with an average of 3.6 ppb (State average is 4.8 ppb)..recent dissolved oxygen (DO) profiles show low DO depletion in deep areas of the lake. Little Bear Pond Water quality monitoring data for Little Bear Pond has been collected since During this period, 7 years of basic chemical information was collected, in addition to Secchi Disk Transparencies (SDT). In summary, the water quality of Little Bear Pond is considered to be average, based on measures of SDT, total phosphorus (TP), and Chlorophyll-a (Chla). The potential for nuisance algae blooms on Little Bear Pond is low. Water Quality Measures: Little Bear Pond is a non-colored lake (average color 23 SPU) with an average SDT of 3.7*m (12.3*ft) (*means Secchi Disk was visible all the way to bottom of lake. If the lake were deeper, SDT would be greater). The range of phosphorus for Little Bear Pond is 9-13 parts per billion (ppb) with an average of 11 ppb (State average is 12 ppb), while Chla ranges from ppb with an average of 3.3 ppb (State average is 4.8 ppb). Recent dissolved oxygen (DO) profiles show no DO depletion in deep areas of the lake. The potential for TP to leave the bottom sediments and become available to algae in the water column (internal loading) is low. Page 6

7 The following Portland Press Herald article describes how volunteers on Great East Lake in Acton spotted and removed the invasive aquatic plant called variable leaf milfoil, before it spread beyond control. New Milfoil Infestation May Be Eradicated By SETH HARKNESS, Staff Writer Tuesday, October 24, 2006 A new infestation of variable-leaf milfoil has been found in a lake straddling the Maine-New Hampshire border in northern York County. A volunteer found the invasive plant in July in Great East Lake, a 1,776-acre body of water between Acton and Wakefield, N.H. The discovery was the first new occurrence of the highly invasive plant in a Maine lake or pond since The milfoil had not spread and volunteers were able to remove it, so state officials in both states said they are hopeful that this may be a rare case in which milfoil is eradicated successfully. "This is within the realm of possibility," said Paul Gregory of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. "All the right things were done at the right time." As on many Maine and New Hampshire lakes, a corps of volunteers defends Great East against aquatic nuisances by monitoring its 18 miles of shoreline. Carol Lafond, 63, of Wakefield, N.H., found the milfoil while snorkeling on the New Hampshire side of the border. The plant was a few hundred feet from a boat ramp in Maine and probably entered the lake on a boat, Gregory said. But apparently it had arrived only recently. Further inspection revealed no more milfoil plants in the lake. Volunteer divers removed the milfoil, and a survey in August by New Hampshire environmental officials showed no sign of the milfoil. As far as the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is concerned, the plant has been eradicated, according to Amy Smagula, a biologist with the department. Gregory said he, too, is optimistic that the milfoil may have been removed fully, though it would be the first time it has been done in a Maine lake. Invasive plants have been discovered in 27 of Maine's 5,700 lakes and ponds, and 24 of the infestations involved variable milfoil, according to Gregory. Once established, the plant is very difficult to remove because it grows rapidly and has no natural predators. The plant, which is native to the southeastern United States, degrades the water bodies where it grows by crowding out native plants, forming thick mats of vegetation and lowering oxygen levels. In comparison with those of other states, Maine's lakes and ponds have been relatively untouched by milfoil and other invasive plants. State law aims to keep it that way by making it illegal to transport any aquatic plant on the outside of a vehicle. The state also organizes volunteers to inspect for nuisance plants at boat ramps. Where milfoil has appeared in Maine, no one has eradicated it fully, though most populations were fully established before they were reported, Gregory said. In Great East Lake, where the plant was caught early, he said, there may be a better chance of weeding it out. Staff Writer Seth Harkness can be contacted at or at: sharkness@pressherald.com Page 7