Woody Trask 10/21/15

This report summarizes the findings of the 2015 water quality monitoring program for Taylor Pond in Auburn, Maine (MIDAS ID#3750). Secchi disc readings were conducted from June through September. Due to having to send the DO meter out for repair, testing for dissolved oxygen, temperature and other parameters was only conducted monthly from July to September. Additional Secchi readings were taken throughout the summer, with several readings taken to coincide with satellite overflights as requested by VLMP. Since 2004 Taylor Pond Association has been collecting its own water samples and performing most tests. Phosphorus analysis was conducted this year by the DHHS Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory.

Result summary: The results were rather conflicting as the clarity of the lake was quite a bit better than last year and the historical average but the Phosphorus readings were slightly higher and have increased slowly over the past three years. This bears watching as higher levels indicate an increase in the likelihood of experiencing algae blooms. No changes in color, pH, alkalinity or conductance were observed.

The ice out date was April 21. The historical average is April 14.

The results of this year’s monitoring are given below:

* all bottom samples where taken at 12m depth to avoid contamination by bottom sediments

Color:  Organic material that remains from dead plants and animals provides most of the water color. Lakes drained by areas with more coniferous forests tend to be brown in color due to the slow degradation of the leaves of these trees. Taylor Pond had a color measured at 20 in 2015, which is slightly higher than the reading of 23 for 2014 and lower than the mean for all Maine lakes of 28. When the color is greater than 25 a lake is considered “colored” and the transparency is reduced.

PH:  A measure of the acid-base status of the pond. Taylor Pond had a pH of 7.2 in 2015 which is slightly higher than the mean of 6.82 for all Maine Lakes. Acid rain caused by industrial pollutants can cause the pH in lakes to drop below 6. This drop in pH kills off the healthy zooplankton (microscopic animals) leading to death of fish and overgrowth of algae.   The pH of Taylor Pond has been very stable over the years.

Alkalinity:  A measure of the capacity of the water to buffer against a change in the pH. Taylor Pond’s alkalinity in 2015 was 20 (the same as last year) compared to a mean for all Maine lakes of 11.9. This indicates that our pond is unlikely to have a problem with acidity. The level of alkalinity in Taylor Pond has remained little changed and is not of concern.

Conductance:  Conductance indirectly measures the relative number of dissolved ions in the water — the higher the concentration of ions the greater the conductance. Conductance is used as a rough estimate of the amount of pollutants which usually are present as ions. Although conductance is easy to measure it is not considered highly reliable. Taylor Pond’s conductance for 2015 was 89 compared to a historical mean of 89.9 and a mean of 46 for all Maine lakes.

Total Phosphorous:  The phosphorus Measurement of phosphorous provides the most reliable measure of the capacity of Taylor Pond to have an algal bloom. Algae in Maine waters tend to be limited by the phosphorous content of the water. If you provide enough phosphorous algae grows rapidly. Algae cause depletion of oxygen in the water which kills animal life, colors the water green and when it dies creates unpleasant odors. Taylor Pond’s phosphorous was done using a 5 meter core and bottom grab sampling technique. Taylor Pond’s phosphorous this year averaged 11.7 µg/L which is close to the historical mean of 10.1 and slightly lower than the 12 reported for all Maine lakes. It is also below the critical level of 15, at which level one tends to see algal blooms. Lakes are categorized as oligotrophic (low level of biologic productivity), mesotrophic (intermediate) or eutrophic (high biologic productivity) based on how much phosphorous they contain. A lake with a phosphorous of less than 10 is considered oligotrophic, between 10 and 30 is considered mesotrophic and over 30 is considered eutrophic.

Secchi Disk:  Secchi disk readings provide the easiest method for measuring the clarity of the water. Algae, zooplankton (microscopic animals), natural water color and suspended soil all reduce the transparency of the water. Algae cause most of the change in transparency in Taylor Pond. The mean transparency for 2015 was 5.48, 0.7 meter higher than last year and significantly higher than the historic average for Taylor Pond of 4.62 and higher than the historical average for all Maine lakes. The higher than normal readings may have been due to the unusually dry summer which resulted in less suspended matter being introduced into the pond.

Trophic State:  This is a measure of the biologic productivity of the pond — the higher the number, the more biologically productive the lake and typically the poorer the water quality. The scale ranges from zero to over 100. Ponds in the range between 40 and 50 are considered mesotrophic (moderately productive). Values greater than 50 are associated with eutrophy (high productivity) and values less than 40 are associated with oligotrophy (low productivity). Taylor Pond measured at 35.5 by Secchi Disk readings and 39.6 by phosphorous readings (considered the most accurate). Taylor Pond’s Trophic State as measured by the Secchi disk is lower than the state average of 45.

Dissolved Oxygen Profiles:  The amount of dissolved oxygen is measured at one meter depth intervals throughout the summer. Generally down to a depth of 5 meters the oxygen level remains at a high level to sustain all animals. Below 5 meters the oxygen levels early in the summer are high, but as the summer progresses the oxygen levels drop to levels (below 5 ppm) unable to sustain fish and other aquatic animals. Warm water fish (such as Sunfish, Perch, Pickerel and Bass) have no difficulty in Taylor Pond because they stay near the surface where the water is well oxygenated. Cold water fish (such as Trout and Salmon) need the deeper colder water, below 20 degrees Celsius, to thrive. By August, this colder deeper water no longer contains enough oxygen for the fish. In addition to the difficulty for fish, oxygen depletion near the bottom of the pond tends to release phosphorous into the water. This is demonstrated by the higher phosphorous levels found in the bottom grab sample (17 at 12 meters* depth vs. 11.7 for the 5 meter core sample). The oxygen depletion found below 4-8 meters is similar to what we have found in the past and continues to reflect the fragile state of Taylor Pond.

Conclusions:  The conclusions remain unchanged from last year. The water quality of Taylor Pond is considered to be average compared to other Maine lakes. The potential for an algal bloom continues to be moderate and has not changed significantly from prior years but shows a concerning upward trend. Taylor Pond remains one of the 181 Maine lakes on the Maine Department of Environmental Protections Nonpoint Source Priority Watershed list. This list contains those lakes considered to be threatened or impaired by nonpoint source pollution from land use activities on the surrounding watershed. In addition the Stormwater Management Law considers Taylor Pond to be a lake “most at risk”.

Taylor Pond fails to meet standards for the highest water quality due to the depletion of oxygen found at depths below 5 meters during the summer. In addition, phosphorous levels remain just below the threshold of 15 which could trigger an algal bloom. Monitoring of Taylor Pond has been conducted regularly since 1975. During this time there has been no consistent trend in the parameters measured. In the years we have been monitoring Taylor Pond ourselves, since 2004, there have been no notable algae blooms.

Because of the shallow depth of the pond (mean depth 17 feet) and low flushing rate (1.34 flushes per year, the number of times the water, on average, empties from the pond) Taylor Pond will likely always remain vulnerable to phosphorous loading and therefore algal blooms. Because of oxygen depletion of deep water during the summer, the pond will likely never sustain a cold water fishery. In addition, the oxygen depletion at depths below 5 meters releases an increased amount of phosphorous to the water. Finally, each new structure or expansion of an existing structure, whether a home, garage, driveway, road, lawn or beach, increases the phosphorous loading of the pond.

Taylor Pond continues to have many attractive qualities. The shallow depth means that it quickly warms in the summer to provide excellent swimming close to the towns of Auburn and Lewiston. It freezes quickly in the winter to provide skating, skiing and ice fishing during the winter.   It has an abundant bass and pickerel population that thrives in its warm waters and attracts people who enjoy fishing. The Department of Marine Resources considers the pond to be prime spawning habitat for Alewives and trucks adult fish above the dams on the Androscoggin River into Taylor Pond. It has a naturally high level of biologic productivity that sustains an abundant wildlife population for all to enjoy. It remains a place that never ceases to astound us with its beauty.

METHODS:  Samples are collected near the deepest point in the pond. This point has been determined previously and the historic location has been noted on maps available to the samplers. This spot is reached by boat and verified each time by visual triangulation for Secchi disk readings. In addition to visual triangulation an ultrasound depth meter is used before collecting core and grab samples. Grab samples are taken using a Van Dorn Water Sampler. Core samples are taken with a core sampler home-manufactured from a 50 foot flexible PVC tube.   The method for grab samples at a specified depth and core samples are done according to the protocol of the Maine Bureau of Land and Water Quality, Division of Environmental Assessment.

COLOR: Performed on core samples using a Hach color wheel (CO 20-100) and units are in Standard Platinum Units (SPU).

PH: Performed on core samples using a Hach Bromothymol Blue test kit for pH.

CONDUCTANCE: Performed on core samples using a HM Digital, Inc. Model COM-100 water quality tester for EC/TDS/Temp. Conductivity is measured in uS/cm.

ALKALINITY: Performed on core samples using a titration method with a Hach color wheel measured in milligram per liter.

PHOSPHOROUS: Performed on core samples and bottom grab samples. Samples are collected in the field, refrigerated and sent to the DHHS lab by mail. Measurements are in parts per billion (ppb). The results are the average of four samples taken once a month from June to September.

SECCHI DISK: Performed using the method taught by the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program. Only certified users performed this task. Measurements of depth are in meters.

DISSOLVED OXYGEN: Performed in the field using a YSI 550A DO meter with 50 foot probe which measures temperature and dissolved oxygen from the surface to maximum depth. The sampler and meter is yearly certified by the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program as to method and accuracy. Measurements of dissolved oxygen are in milligrams per liter (mg/l). Water temperature at each depth tested is also recorded.

TROPHIC STATE: Carlson’s Trophic State Index (TSI) is used in these calculations. For Secchi disk depth TSI = 60 – 14.41 x (Natural Log of Secchi disk depth in meters). For total phosphorus TSI = 14.42 x (Natural Log of total phosphorous) + 4.15.

By Dana Little  6/15/14

Is the water warm enough to swim?  Each spring, our son, Rob, made a ritual out of jumping into Taylor Pond before the ice was completely out.  My grandfather, who lived on a lake in Wisconsin, reportedly took his weekly bath all winter by cutting a hole in the ice.  For most of us, temperatures of at least seventy are desirable.  That means we enjoy swimming on the Pond from the Fourth of July to Labor Day.

Lakes located in temperate climates like Taylor Pond have four distinct seasonal temperature patterns (see diagram).

Graphs for Water Temperature of Taylor Pond

Spring:  After ice out, winds are brisk and the water freely circulates from top to bottom.  In Taylor Pond, water temperature typically runs at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and oxygen level measures at 10 (milligrams per deciliter, close to 100% saturation).

Summer:  The water separates into three layers.

1.      Epilimnion, the top layer with the warmest water, usually measures 15 feet deep and averages 68-77 degrees. Oxygen from the air dissolves in the water and is circulated throughout this layer by the wind.  Light penetrates easily and algae uses light through photosynthesis to produce oxygen and sugar on which fish and other wildlife survive.

2.      Thermocline, the middle layer where temperature and oxygen levels rapidly drop. About 3-6 feet thick, this level acts as a barrier which prevents mixing of the upper and lower layers of water.  Below this depth oxygen levels drop too low to sustain most life.

3.      Hypolimnion, the deepest layer with the coldest water. Temperatures usually hover around 54 degrees.  Below 18-21 feet, little light penetrates which reduces the amount of photosynthesis. Most of the nutrients that exist here are those that filter down from dead organisms above.  Their decomposition uses up any oxygen that may be present.  Fish that require cold water, such as salmon and trout, cannot live here due to the lack of oxygen.  The deepest parts of Taylor Pond are found in the northern and eastern portions and down the center.

Fall: Weather turns cool, water temperature drops to 50 degrees, the thermocline disappears, and winds once again circulate the entire body of water.  Now, the temperature and oxygen levels become fairly uniform at all depths, including the deepest parts of the pond.

Winter:   Cold weather freezes the top layer of water.  Within days, the ice will be thick enough to hold one person, and by the end of the winter it will be 18-36 inches thick.  Just below the ice, the temperature hovers around 34 degrees; deeper down, it’s about 40 degrees.

Each year Taylor Pond cycles through these four stages.  In spring, if you were to jump into the   40 degree water, you would become hypothermic, shaking uncontrollably, within minutes, and lose consciousness within 15-30 minutes.   In summer the sun warms the top layer and the thermocline keeps cooler water down deep.  Having a thermocline allows us to swim comfortably most of the summer.

by Dana Little, 6/25/13

            Living on the pond’s edge, we occupy prime turtle habitat.  Both the large snapping turtle, up to 20 inches long and 60 pounds, and the smaller, more colorful painted turtle thrive in Taylor Pond.  At our house, every June, a female snapper emerges from the mud on the bottom of the pond, and appears on our lawn or driveway. She’s searching for a nesting site.  Over several hours, she digs up spot after spot in the soft mulch of our gardens, before settling on the right one.  There, she lays and buries 20-30 white eggs, about one inch in diameter.  She returns to the water and often, within 24 hours, we find the location of her raided nest by the broken egg shells strewn about by a marauding fox, mink, raccoon, or skunk.

Mother Snapping Turtle searching for a nesting site.

Any remaining eggs will hatch in the fall. The sex of these little survivors is determined by the temperature of their environment.  Females thrive at the extremes, low or high; males, at intermediate temperatures.  Because the temperature in a nest varies with depth usually a blend of males and females occur. The young hatch within 24 hours of each other and emerge en mass, overwhelming predators with their numbers to enhance their chance of survival.  They may climb to the surface immediately or wait until spring to appear.

Snappers, on average, live 30 years, although they can live much longer in captivity.  Aquatic plants compose about a third of their diet.  They often wait hidden in the mud on the bottom of the pond or suspended in the water where they will ambush fish, small birds, frogs and snakes.  Do snappers bite people?  On land their slow speed makes them vulnerable so they will snap if you get too close.  Swimming in the Pond, I’ve met snappers on many occasions. They simply turn and swim away when they spot me.  I am told snappers make good soup.  Unfortunately, they may harbor high levels of toxins.  I prefer to watch rather than eat this creature that’s been around since the dinosaurs ruled.

Baby Painted Turtle

Painted Turtles get their name from the bright red, orange and yellow markings on their dark underside shells.  They prefer warm, shallow water where underwater plants are plentiful.  They love to bask in the warm sun. When space is limited, up to four turtles will pile on top of each another.  During the summer they chase small creatures such as insect larvae, baby fish and tadpoles.  They also consume cattails, pondweeds and long strings of algae.  Although they can occasionally be spotted swimming beneath clear ice, in the winter they usually bury themselves in the mud to wait for spring.  Female painteds prefer to lay about 20 eggs in sandy soil in the sun. Painted turtles have been known to live for 13 years but probably live much longer.

When out in a boat, check that floating piece of log again; it may be a snapper’s head. Scan logs at the water’s edge for basking painted turtles.  If you want to see the snapper or the painted turtle in the water, put on a mask and snorkel, and float quietly in the shallows.

Painted Turtle

By Dana Little, 6/21/2012

The earliest findings of plant use by people are flowers placed in a Neanderthal  grave site found in Iraq dated 25,000 years ago.  Crop agriculture in the Fertile Crescent area of the eastern Mediterranean dates back to 10,500 years ago.  The Chinese cultivated rice 8,000 years ago along the Yangtze River.  Early farmers in Mesoamerica, Andean South America and eastern North America all independently developed agriculture.  Our backyard gardens today contain representatives from all over the world: potatoes from Peru, broccoli from the northern Mediterranean region, corn from Mesoamerica, beans of various types from Afghanistan, Egypt, Peru and North America and various kinds of squash from Mesoamerica.

When people find a plant that especially attracts them for its food or aesthetic value they transport it long distances.  Where would we be without the spicy peppers that came from Mexico found in Szechuan cooking or the tomatoes that hail from Peru and characterize Italian cuisine?  Our gardens would be impoverished without the roses first cultivated 5,000 years ago in China and poppies grown 4,500 years ago in Southern Europe and North Africa.

However, some plants can become a nightmare when transported to new locations.  We call such plants invasive.  Invasive plants may cause problems by crowding out a more desirable native species, shading slower growing plants or reproducing faster than native plants.  The Japanese brought Kudzu, also called the “Mile-a-minute Vine”, to the bicentennial celebration in the US in 1876.  In Japan they ate the starchy roots and livestock grazed on the green leaves.  In the US, people loved the purple flowers and the shade provided by the rapidly growing vine.  In the 1930s the government planted millions of seedlings in the South to control the erosion that tobacco and cotton farming created.  Without natural predators, it grew up to 60 feet yearly, smothered native vegetation and climbed over anything in its way, including trees and homes.  By the 1970’s the US declared Kudzu a weed and today economists calculate it costs the forestry industry 100 million dollars a year.

Beekeepers and plant lovers first transported another invasive plant, Purple Loosestrife, to the US in the 1800’s.  The plant produces three million seeds every year which are rapidly carried by wind and water to settle in any moist soil.  Now large tracts of wetland have few plants other than Purple.  Scientists fortunately have discovered that the introduction of a number of insect pests can control it.

Purple Loosestrife

Another invasive, a species of grass, Phragmites australis, comes from Europe where grazing cattle kept it under control.  In the US Phragmites grows anywhere from 6-18 feet tall and spreads at a rate of 30 feet per year, quickly shading out the native cattails and other wetland species.  Bird and mammal diversity drops rapidly when this grass takes over.  We see monoculture Phragmites swamps for many miles along 495 driving down to Boston.  We have a small colony starting on the southwest cove near my home.

Phragmites on the east side of the pond intermixed with Button Bush and Cattails.

You can find lists of invasive plants at www.invasive.org or www.eddmaps.org .  Plants commonly sold in nurseries are listed on these sites and include Barberry, Oriental Bittersweet, Norway Maple, Honeysuckle, Russian Olive, English Ivy and Winged Euonymus.  There are nearly 1200 plants native to New England.  Buying native plants ensures that you will not spread invasive plants.  If you educate yourself before transplanting new plants you will keep our pond healthy.

by Dana Little, July 2009

This year I observed a breeding Common Merganser for the first time on Taylor Pond.  This merganser is a large bird typically over two feet in length with a wingspan of nearly three feet.  The female, which I observed, has a brown head with a short crest behind.  The bill is bright red and serrated to hang on to the fish for which it dives.  The body is a light gray that blends into the background making the mother hard to observe.  My son, Robbie, first saw her carrying three newly-hatched chicks on her back July 12^th.  When I saw her on the 13^th and subsequent days only one chick remained.  Both mother and chick could be observed swimming along with their head held at water level with the eyes below to spot fish.  One can see this fish-searching behavior often in the Common Loon which is a regular visitor to Taylor Pond.   Whenever the baby merganser startled, it quickly jumped onto its mother’s back and rode away.  The Common Merganser typically prefers deep, clear lakes and rivers and subsists mostly on small fish caught underwater while swimming.  The adults usually nest in a tree cavity near water 15-20 feet above ground and lay 8-11 eggs.  During the winter they can be spotted in the Androscoggin River just below the falls and anywhere along the southern Maine coast.  When the ice melts in the spring this bird is one of the first to make an appearance along with the Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers in the open water near the shoreline of Taylor Pond.

Pair of Common Mergansers

Yellow-billed Cuckoos can be heard at this time of year commonly calling in the thickets surrounding Taylor Pond.  This species has declined 42 percent since 1980 according to Breeding Bird Survey data.  I have difficulty spotting the adult as they like dense vegetation but occasionally they can be seen flying around my yard.  They typically lay 4 eggs in a nest found in low shrubs.  The young develop rapidly and are out of the nest within 3 weeks.  The adults love to eat tent caterpillars and cicadas and when large outbreaks of these insects occur, the adults will lay many more eggs than usual.  Although you are unlikely to spot this bird soon, you can detect its presence by learning the song by going to the Macauley Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

by Dana Little, July 2008

Taylor Pond provides essential habitat to a variety of aquatic birds that depend upon its clean and productive waters.  Standing by the lake one can count dozens of bird species flying over, diving into, or swimming in the pond.  A short hike in any direction away from the pond demonstrates a rapid decline in the numbers and variety of birds.  Fifteen species depend on the pond to raise their young.  They typically arrive as soon as open water appears around the edges and stay until the pond surface freezes solid.

A pair of Canada Geese in recent years has been nesting on the pond.  The male and female will form a pair that lasts for years.  They lay 4-7 eggs and then share in raising the young.  They often will climb onto lawns that reach all the way to the water.  They will forage on sprouting vegetation and insects found on lawns leaving large fecal messes that can be hazardous to people walking on the lawn.  Large flocks stop off to rest on the pond during migration north in the spring and south in the fall.

A family of Canada Geese

Four ducks commonly breed on the pond:  Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Mallard, and Hooded Merganser.  The Black Duck and Mallard stay year round.  During the winter they swim in openings of the ice on the pond until they close up, and then they move to the AndroscogginRiver or down to the coast.  The Wood Duck and Hooded Merganser slip down to the southern United States for the winter,,  but as soon as open water occurs, they reappear.  The Wood Ducks can be found in the spring sitting in pairs in large trees around the pond.  They like nesting in hollow cavities in old trees, but love it if you provide a nesting box for them.  Nests will often contain 15-20 eggs, sometimes from multiple females. The adults and young commonly forage for small invertebrates in the marshes and swamps around Taylor Pond.  The secretive Wood Duck, although common, takes an alert observer to spot them before they rapidly fly away when approached.  The Hooded Merganser also nests typically in hollow trees or nesting boxes.  Up to 35 eggs, which may be laid by several females, have been found in their nests. Hooded Mergansers have been known to lay their eggs in Wood Duck nests.  Hooded Mergansers have narrow serrated bills to capture the small fish, frogs and crayfish that form the bulk of their diet.  They are secretive birds that are best seen early in the morning or late in the evening diving for their prey in open water.  The Black Duck and Mallard will typically lay 8-10 eggs in a grass lined nest usually found in a remote marshy area.  Once the young hatch they are commonly seen throughout the day on open water of the pond, the female leading and a long line of young following behind.

Courting Wood Ducks

Common Loon eggs have been found around the pond in the last two years.  However, we have not had a successful chick since Audubon volunteers has been monitoring the pond since 1983.  I suspect that the lack of breeding success has to do with too many houses along the shore, too much boat traffic, and in the last few years, jet skis that regularly buzz the entire shore line.  During the summer a careful search of the pond will usually find 4-6 Common Loons foraging for their favorite food of small fish.  They appear tame and are easily approached in a canoe or may suddenly appear close to you while you are swimming.

Great Blue Herons nest in colonies, the closest one being on an island in the AndroscogginRiver.  At daybreak the Herons leave their nesting and roosting sites to feed in places like Taylor Pond.  During the daytime, Great Blue Herons can often be found standing in shallow water along the shoreline looking for their favorite foods; fish, frogs and crayfish.  One day I watched a Great Blue Heron at the end of my dock work for over one-half hour swallowing a foot long prickly perch.  The much smaller Green Heron typically nests in thickets in marshy areas.  Difficult to find, one usually spots them feeding along natural shorelines, climbing up on overhanging shrub branches, waiting to spear any fish that swim below.

Great Blue Heron

American Bitterns breed in the marshy areas on the side of the pond.  Almost never seen, their presence is most commonly noted by their deep booming calls that have an other-worldly nature to them.  They feed on small fish, frogs and crustaceans found in the marsh or along the sides of the pond.  The Virginia Rail is one of the most difficult-to-spot birds of the pond.  They spend all their time in thickets in the middle of the marsh.  Their unusual call is commonly heard and once you recognize it you may see them walking about low in the bushes.  They are not shy and will parade out in front of you with no apparent fear if you remain still.  When we moved into our home here on the pond, one adult led and one adult followed with 10 young in between parading around the moving vans.  The young look like black, fluffy ping-pong balls on stilts.  Once fully grown they fly off to winter along the southern and gulf coast of the US.

It takes an alert observer to see the common Spotted Sandpipers which are usually seen feeding along the shoreline.  Their constant bobbing and black spots on a white belly identify them.  They breed in the woods and fields around the pond.  They win the prize for aquatic birds flying the furthest as they commonly winter in Chile and Argentina.

Ospreys typically build large stick nests near the water.  I have seen no nests near the pond but they can be seen daily catching fish.  They hover over the water 30-100 feet and then dive feet first to come up with wriggling perch and bass.  The Osprey population plummeted in the 1950’s due to DDT but now they are abundant in Maine.  During the winter, they travel down to the coast and as far south as South America.  The largest bird found on Taylor Pond, the Bald Eagle, has a wingspan typically over six feet.  Their nests can be found on the AndroscogginRiver, but they are regularly seen hunting over the pond.  They feed on fish sometimes stolen from Osprey or snatched from the water.  They also love to feed on gulls, ducks, and small mammals.

by Anne Goorhuis, May 2007

To be green is to be seen as eco-friendly.  A green choice protects the environment and doesn’t deplete the earth’s natural resources.   Sprinkle the word green in your conversation enough, and your colleagues will begin to view you as an avant-garde who’s into cutting edge, petroleum-saving technologies.  Yes, green is the new adjective to describe an environmentally friendly, sustainable lifestyle choice.  Unfortunately, green is also used to describe grass.

Green grass…sigh!  It conjures up images of barbecues and hammocks.  Green grass seems to summarize what so many of us strive for – beautiful surroundings and the time to enjoy them!  We dream of a golf-course quality lawn and pursue that dream at any cost.  However, there are some underlying assumptions about perfect lawns that do not harmonize well with lakeside living.

The golf-course-quality, green lawn is one of monoculture, where one characteristic is emphasized to the detriment of other characteristics.  The chemical companies have taught us that uniformity of appearance is better than diversity of plant species.   If we sprinkle a little of this or spray some of that, we can get rid of the clover in the grass, for example.  Clover’s broadleaf image doesn’t jive with the slim, anorexic look of a blade of grass.  The lake-lover, however, comes to appreciate clover because of its ability to bind nitrogen to the soil – a kind of self-fertilizer, if you will.  The lake-lover realizes that to use an herbicide to get rid of the clover affects the lake, because the chemicals can leach into the water and cause problems for the fish, which in turn can cause problems for the beings that eat the fish.  DDT is a prime example.

A lakeside environment is one of diversity.  The above example illustrates how sensitive our unique environment is.  This complex interplay is one of the reasons we Taylor-Ponders love living here.  I, for one, get a thrill from watching a Bald Eagle perched on a nearby tree looking for chemically untainted fish!  (And should the fish become tainted, how long until there are no more Bald Eagles?) When we choose to give up the unrealistic dream of monoculture, we say “Yes!” to the multilayered environment that is our home.

So here are a few pointers for those of us who want to walk barefooted to the grill to get our hamburger and still have something grass-like under our feet.

1)     If you’ve got enough sun on your property to grow grass, vow never to use an herbicide on it.  Adjust your expectations to allow a few broadleafs in your lawn.

2)     Let your grass grow to at least 3” in length before mowing and allow the clippings to fall on the lawn to fertilize it.

3)     Only water your lawn if it hasn’t rained in seven days.  In this case, water before 10 a.m. for a longer period of time (30-60 minutes).  This creates deeper root systems on the grass that withstands drought better.

4)     Do not mow within 15 -20 feet of the water.  Instead allow a natural buffer to flourish there.  Even a buffer of 8-10 feet is better than nothing.

5)     If you do not have enough sun to properly grow grass, don’t spend lots of money on useless fertilizers trying to do so.  All those chemicals end up in the lake and you still won’t have that coveted lawn. (A future article will deal with options for the yard with dense shade.)

6)     If your property touches the waterfront, don’t use any fertilizers.  Instead, do not bag the grass clippings and shred your leaves in the fall.  Allow the shredded leaves to lie on the lawn over the winter.  This is a form of natural fertilizer.  For flower and vegetable beds use organic fertilizers such as a compost of leaves, grass clippings and household vegetable waste.

7)      If your property is not contiguous to the lake or a stream that feeds into the lake, and you feel the lawn occasionally needs the burst of a fertilizer; purchase phosphorous-free fertilizer.  Do not apply fertilizer after midsummer, as plant growth then starts to wane in preparation for autumn and winter and more chemicals are therefore leached into the ground table or lake.

These websites were helpful to me in preparing this article:  www.reduce.org/garden/

and www.mindfully.org/Sustainability/Sustainable-Lawn-Care.htm .   Happy grilling!

by Michael Dixon, May 2007

Each year, the Maine Congress of Lake Associations recognizes a lake association for its contribution to protecting Maine lakes and ponds.  I am very proud to report that we won the 2006 Outstanding Achievement Award for Lake Stewardship.  The award was announced at the 2006 New England Lakes Conference, held in Farmington on Saturday, June 3.  Dana Little and I attended the conference in order to accept the award.

Maggie Shannon presents the award to Michael Dixon and Dana Little.

I thought I would use this opportunity to tell you all a little about the organization that honored us, by including some information from the COLA website:

What is Maine COLA?

The Maine Congress of Lake Associations (Maine COLA) was formed in 1970 as a non-profit, charitable organization for Maine lakes. It is the only statewide network of individuals and lake associations devoted solely to the protection and preservation of our lakes.

Protecting water quality and promoting sound land-use practices are objectives Maine COLA has had throughout its history. More specifically the purposes of Maine COLA are:

• To provide a communication network and coordinating structure for      lake-related projects and issues;
• To provide a clearinghouse of environmental information pertaining      to lake management;
• To provide a pool of technical knowledge and expertise to advise      and assist members;
• To promote through education the appreciation and wise use of      Maine lakes;
• To promote boating and water safety;
• To establish liaisons with other environmental groups and      agencies;
• To monitor and report to members on legislation and administrative      actions affecting Maine lakes; and
• To advocate and support legislation and administrative actions      which promote sound lake management.

What Does Maine COLA Do?

From testifying at a legislative hearing or hosting a conference on sewage disposal to alerting members about important lake issues throughout the state, Maine COLA’s activities are as varied as its accomplishments.

Maine COLA has always had a strong commitment to individual lake associations: how to start one, where to obtain water monitoring equipment, how to reduce erosion. While lake associations have concerns unique to their lakes, there are common statewide problems as well. Maine COLA serves as a resource for both.

We are also active with legislative issues. In the mid-1970’s Maine COLA was influential in obtaining comprehensive legislation regarding dams and water levels, unchanged for centuries, which led to required water levels and better dam safety. Maine COLA is a member of the Great Ponds Task Force, charged with developing a package of recommendations which was passed by the Maine 118th Legislature in 1998. Supporting legislation for the welfare of our lakes continues to be an important component of Maine COLA.

The TPA is a dues-paying member of COLA, but the organization also offers individual memberships.  Please visit www.mainecola.org for more information.

by Dana Little May 2007

Officials responsible for LakeAuburn’s water quality decided a year ago that gulls were increasing the bacterial count in Lewiston/Auburn’s water supply.  To reduce this source of pollution, Ben Nugent of Maine Fish and Wildlife Service killed a few gulls.  He also used noise-makers to scare many more gulls off the lake.  Officials successfully reduced the gulls on LakeAuburn and bacterial counts declined to acceptable levels.  However, the reduction in gulls on LakeAuburn appeared to have caused an increase in gulls on Taylor Pond.

This last summer Ben Nugent observed an increase in gulls on Taylor Pond.   The number of gulls counted on Taylor Pond ranged from 50 to a high of 3,000.  Typically he counted 800 gulls in the evening floating on the water this last summer.  He saw higher numbers during the migration of Herring Gulls in the fall.  When the ice covers the pond in the winter, most of the gulls leave the pond.  Some gulls remain and will roost at night out in the middle of the ice where they feel the safest.  Ben has observed flocks of gulls traveling down the AndroscogginRiver daily in the winter to roost in the ocean.  He speculates that they travel to the ocean because they feel safer roosting out on the ocean where they can easily spot approaching predators.  During the day, gulls fan out across the countryside to forage in farmer’s fields, open dumpsters and roadside trash.  In the summer, gulls gather over the pond in the evening, circling above looking for danger.  When they feel safe, they settle down in the middle of the pond to roost for the night.

We need to be concerned about the increase in gulls for two reasons.  First, their feces are loaded with bacteria which have the potential to make people sick when they swim or drink the water.  Reassuringly, two years ago, tests done on the water in Taylor Pond during the summer swimming season did not show any significant levels of bacteria.  Taylor Pond Association’s board recently made a decision to perform bacterial testing this coming summer to see if the increase in gulls will cause a problem.  Secondly, gull feces are high in nutrients, including phosphorous, which could cause an algal bloom.  However, ongoing testing for phosphorous levels in Taylor Pond demonstrated no increase from the gulls.  After learning about the potential problems that gulls can bring, we might be tempted to chase them off the lake to prevent problems from occurring.  Ben Nugent, who manages the gulls on LakeAuburn, reminds us that we cannot disturb wildlife without a permit and gulls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Gulls provide entertainment for those of us watching the wildlife.  Year-round, one can often spot Ring-billed Gulls around the pond.  During migration many Herring Gulls appear and a few Great Black-backed Gulls show up throughout the year.  During a large mayfly hatch this past summer, large numbers of gulls swept through the air at dusk, feeding on the mayflies.  As it became dark, bats moved in and cleaned up what the gulls did not eat.  This winter Tim Priestly observed a Bald Eagle chasing down and devouring a gull on the ice in front of his home.  Charlie Todd of Maine Fish and Wildlife tells me that along the ocean shoreline gulls make up 50% of the Bald Eagles’ diet.  Fortunately, we have spotted many Bald Eagles year-round on Taylor Pond, perhaps they will keep the gulls from overwhelming the pond.

The Taylor Pond Association board will continue to monitor the gull situation and will review the data to be collected this summer regarding bacterial count.