Category Archives: News

Wildlife of Taylor Pond

Glossary of Lakeside Living Terms

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by Anne Goorhuis 

As property owners living adjacent or close to the lake, we are all interested in maintaining a clean, algae-free Taylor Pond for our own enjoyment and to maintain the property values of our homes.  What follows is a glossary of must-know terms of the eco-speak of lakeside property care.

THE COMMON RAINDROP – The common raindrop is public enemy number one to maintaining water quality because of the following:  Rain carries soil down to the lake.  Soil binds with phosphorous and carries it to the lake.  High levels of phosphorous in a lake create algal blooms.  An algae bloom lowers property values and lessens our personal enjoyment of the lake.  See Erosion Control, Storm Water, Open Box Culverts, Phosphorous 

PHOSPHOROUS – The measurement of phosphorous is considered to be the most reliable measure of a pond’s capacity to have an algal bloom.  Thus any use of fertilizer (the most common way ponds get contaminated) should be judiciously weighed.  Test your soil via the Maine Extension Service, and amend only the recommended factors.   When reading a bag of fertilizer, such as 15 – 10 – 12, the middle number stands for Phosphorous.  Indiscriminate use of 20-20-20 fertilizer can be deadly to a lake!  If a soil test shows you need soil amendments, use slow-release products like bone meal, bloodmeal, or cottonseed meal.   Compost is the perfect amendment because it increases the soil’s capacity to hold water, yet keeps soil workable.  By the way, ponds with phosphorous levels below 15 are considered to be unlikely to have an algal bloom.  Taylor Pond’s mean (since 1975) is 11.  Kudos to us!  Let’s keep up the good work!

See The Common Raindrop, Storm Water, Erosion Control 

STORM WATER – Lengthy rains and down pours create storm water, i.e. precipitation that cannot be absorbed immediately by the soil.  How a property within a watershed handles storm water has a direct bearing on lake water quality.  Storm water that creates ruts in dirt roads only to be directed the shortest way possible to the lake carries loads of unwanted phosphorous into the lake.  Storm water that is diverted off the road into vegetated areas or catch basins, allows the soil to settle out and the water to filter before entering the lake.  Storm water coming off rooftops and driveways carries similar implications.  See Open Top Culverts, Level Lip Spreaders, Rain Gardens, Buffer Strips, Vegetated Buffers 

EROSION CONTROL – Erosion control methods allow storm water to be diverted to vegetated buffers or holding areas.  This cuts back on the quantity of soil displaced and keeps what has been displaced out of the lake.  The goal of erosion control is to allow storm water to be either spread out, filtered out, or absorbed.  All three goals keep the common raindrop from carrying phosphorous into the lake.   See Open Top Culverts, Level-lip Spreaders, Vegetated Buffers, Rain Gardens 

RAIN GARDENS – Rain gardens are natural or man-made depressions in the lawn area planted with attractive plants.  Water puddles here temporarily during times of rain.  To the lake, the advantage of a rain garden is that the roots of the plants absorb more water than mere grass.  To the homeowner, the advantage is more attractive landscaping surrounding the home.  Email the lake association if you would like a photocopy of example rain garden layouts.  See Erosion Control, The Common Raindrop 

OPEN TOP CULVERTS – Open top culverts are the opposite of a speed bump; they are dips in a dirt road that funnel storm water off the road into vegetated areas to be absorbed or filtered.  Normally constructed out of pressure treated wood, they are open at the top, and do require emptying once dirt settles into them.  This drawback is counterbalanced by the fact that open top culverts slow down the formation of unwanted ruts and potholes.  To view an open top culvert, travel West Shore Drive, Waterview Drive, Willard Road or the dirt portion of Taywood Road.  See Erosion Control 

LEVEL-LIP SPREADER – A level-lip spreader is essentially a catch basin with one important difference.  All rainwater flows down hill and some storms are so lengthy or intense that a ditch will fill up before a storm is over.  A level-lip spreader allows fast-running, soil-containing rain water to be diverted into it, creating a large, deep puddle.  Now that the water has slowed its speed, the dirt can settle to the bottom of the level-lip spreader, and cleaner water can flow out of it over a 6 foot to 12 foot lip (which is level) into a vegetated buffer and finally into the lake.  A wide band of slow flowing water is always preferable to a narrow band of quickly flowing water when it comes to lake water quality.  The water in the level-lip spreader is temporary, drying after a few days.  Knock on the door of 97 Taywood Rd. for a tour of the level-lip spreader on the author’s property. See Vegetated Buffer, Erosion Control 

VEGETATED BUFFER –  Ideally, the lakefront home will have three tiers of vegetation at the water’s edge;  mature trees, undergrowth of  younger trees or bushes and  the lowest level consisting of grasses, ground covers or low care perennials such as day lilies, hostas and sedum.   The more vegetation on the edge of the lake or near the end of an open top culvert the better, because vegetation encourages the absorption of water from the soil and the plants can use the phosphorous deposited there during times of storm water.  A “no-mow” policy is recommended for the first twenty feet of land along the length of the water’s edge, but an 8’ or 10’ buffer is also a great start.  This is also called a buffer strip.  On our property, when I decided to no longer mow at the water’s edge, I planted a row of low-care, long blooming day lilies to separate the “untidy” long grasses from the lawn chair area.  See Erosion Control, Level-lip Spreader, Open Top  Culvert, Phosphorous

NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION – To understand this term, consider the opposite:  If you can stand and point to a source of pollution such as a factory, farm or oil spill it is not nonpoint source pollution. Nonpoint source pollution is all the little stuff of modern living that does, in fact, add up and negatively affect the quality of our lake.  Examples include: rain coursing down our gutters and washing out the landing, the dirt churned up with rainwater in the ruts of dirt roads, home construction without the proper soil containment devices, the residual oil left in the lake from boat motors, the dust and tree dirt from our driveways.  These all have an effect. “Do we just stop living?” you may ask in frustration.  “No!” but we can choose to handle these minor sources of pollution as responsibly as possible.

Each property owner on or off the lake can allow the natural hollows in the lay of the land to remain, or create artificial ones via a rain garden.   Each property owner along a dirt road can choose to handle the storm water responsibly on his or her section.  Each lakefront owner can choose not to mow 8 feet next to the lake and to maintain their boats properly.  Knock on the door of 104 Terrace Rd. for a tour of how one homeowner manages the rain water off her section of dirt road.  

In conclusion, I hope some of you will hop in your car and tour some of the features mentioned above.  Or take some affirmative action, and sign up for the two hour LakeSmart presentation to educate yourself.  Lake living is worth an investment of time and effort!  Collectively a difference can be made!

Taylor Pond Good Habitat for Alewives

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by Dana Little May 2007

In late summer, schools of alewives swarm by the shore; all moving in the same direction, thousands upon thousands of silvery fish about 2 inches in length. You can see them from afar, their silvery sides reflecting the sunlight.  The water appears to boil with them.  Pickerel and bass thrust into their midst, creating sudden swirls of water.  Kingfishers dive-bomb them from above; loons and mergansers swim to feed upon them.  Alewives grow to adulthood in the ocean far away but come home to Taylor Pond to breed.

Alewife

Alewife caught at Brunswick Dam Fish Ladder.

Mike Brown of the Maine Department of Marine Resources has stocked Alewives in Taylor Pond since 1999.  This stocking program brings in about three-thousand fish into our pond every year.  In the spring, usually starting after the first week in May, the adult alewives head up the AndroscogginRiver from the ocean towards Taylor Pond.  They recognize the distinctive “scent” of Taylor Pond in the water pouring out of MerrymeetingBay at PophamBeach. They swim all the way up to the Brunswick Dam which stops them.  The Department or Marine Resources catches them at the Brunswick fish ladder and trucks them up to Taylor Pond.  Adult alewives are nearly a foot in length and over a half-pound in weight.  Mike unloads the fish into the pond to provide what he considers its carrying capacity of approximately 6 fish per acre.

Alewives dumping

Dumping Alewives into Hooper Pond

The adult fish remain in the pond 3-4 weeks, laying eggs and feeding.  The adult fish return by way of Taylor Brook down to the AndroscogginRiver and back to the ocean.  The young hatch from the eggs and grow up to be the silvery fish that we see late in the summer.  They feed on the zooplankton (microscopic animals) that grow abundantly during the summer.  Mike samples the larval fish as they migrate down Taylor Brook during the summer and fall when they return to the ocean.  He will come 40-50 times during the summer to measure Taylor Pond’s production of alewives.  Mike considers Taylor Pond to be good habitat due to its shallow water, warm temperature and the small size of the pond.

Once the young fish return to the ocean, they feed and grow rapidly for the next 3-4 years.  Scientists call fish that live most of their lives in the ocean but that return to fresh water to breed anadromous.  Alewives share this trait with brown trout, Atlantic salmon and the American eel.  Locally, scientists consider the alewives to be the most abundant anadromous fish.  Historically, Native Americans and early European settlers highly valued them for food.  A variety of animals prey upon alewives including our resident bass, pickerel and pike.  In the ocean a variety of commercially harvested fish depend upon alewives as food.  In the 1970’s annual harvests of alewives in Maine exceeded 3 million pounds, more recently fisherman have harvested less than a million pounds.  Harvested alewives currently serve primarily as bait fish for lobster traps.  On our pond a variety of birds including loons, mergansers, kingfishers and herons enjoy the fish.  Otter and mink also can be seen feeding on fish.

The alewives’ highly developed olfactory sense, their sense of “smell”, tells them which river has Taylor Pond water mingled with it.  Thus each spring they choose to travel up the Androscoggin to return to Taylor Pond.  Someday we hope that these fish will once again be able to complete the entire journey independently.  For now, we depend on the Department of Marine Resources to maintain the population of this fantastic fish.  And the Department depends upon us to keep Taylor Pond a prime habitat for the fish.

Nature on Taylor Pond 2006

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by Dana Little March 26th, 2006.

Taylor Pond provides habitat to a great diversity of plants and animals.  Birds represent the largest group of vertebrates; I have counted 147 species in the area over the last 6 years, and I consider myself a casual birder.  Ninety-three species can be found here during their breeding seasons.  Large numbers of birds stop during their spring and fall migrations to and from their northern breeding grounds.  On Memorial Day weekend, 2005, I worked at home all weekend, tied to the phone.  Every few hours I would go outside to listen and watch the tremendous congregation of birds in my yard.  I counted 77 different species of birds that weekend, including15 different species of warblers.  Warblers typically live in Central and South America for the winter and travel north to breed.  They appear when the leaves start coming out and the black flies can be found in abundance.  Some of the more notable breeding species of birds that can be found around the pond include the Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, American Bittern, Green Heron, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Virginia Rail, American Woodcock, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Common Raven, Winter Wren, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Bobolink, Baltimore Oriole and 8 species of warbler: Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Redstart, Northern Waterthrush and Yellowthroat warblers.

Bird Baltimore Oriole

Hang an orange on an old coat hanger and the Baltimore Orioles will come to you.

Because mammals are shy, they are less frequently observed and there are less species of mammals than birds found locally, 19 seen by myself in the last 6 years.  They usually travel and feed at night, quickly leaving when the slightest noise is made.  Beaver, Muskrat, Chipmunks, Red and Gray Squirrels are common here.  Less frequently seen, but still common are the Otter, Mink, White-tailed Deer, Red Fox, Coyote, several species of Bats, moles, voles, shrews and mice.

Taylor Pond has a variety of fish. Biologists have gill-netted 11 different species.  There are many smaller species of fish that often migrate in large schools or live in the shadows of the lillypads that have not been identified.  The fish most appreciated by the fisherman are the Small-mouth Bass, Chain Pickerel and Yellow Perch.  Brook Trout can be found in the small feeder streams.  Brown Trout were once stocked and caught years ago; I am not aware of any being caught in recent years.

Fishing (2)

Successful Bass Fishermen

During spring, the frogs and toads become noticeable with their loud chorus of mating calls.  The Wood Frog begins earliest, followed by the Spring Peeper.  As the weather warms, Pickerel and Leopard Frogs, Gray Tree Frogs, American Toads, Green and finally Bull Frogs start calling. Two salamanders commonly found are the Yellow-spotted and Red-backed.

Animal Spotted Salamander

Yellow-spotted Salamender

Reptiles tend to find Maine too cold.  A few hardy ones are commonly found, including Snapping Turtle, Painted Turtle and rarely the Common Musk Turtle.  The Snapping and Painted Turtles often come onto my property and lay eggs.  The Garter Snake is the most often spotted snake, rarely the Water and Milk Snakes.

I have not yet mentioned the tremendous variety of plants and invertebrates found in and around the pond.  There are thousands of species of plants found locally.  I have not found anyone who has cataloged this diversity to its full extent.    Protecting Taylor Pond, its water quality as well as the quality of its watershed, protects these plants and animals for future generations to enjoy.

Ice-out occurred this year on March 26th, the earliest I have ever experienced.  At a state water conference two years ago a scientist reported that a review of records on ponds in Maine, extending back over a hundred years indicate that ice-out is occurring now earlier than ever.  Observations of our natural world, dutifully recorded, reveal issues of global significance.  At 239 feet of elevation we will not need to worry about our homes if the oceans rise with global warming.  However, the ice fisherman this year had the shortest season in a long time; they barely got their houses off the lake before the ice melted.  As I sit writing today, the ducks have taken advantage of the open water; American Merganser, Ring-neck Ducks and Golden-eyes have stopped off in the pond on their way to breed in Canada.

Maine Boating Laws

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by Susan Trask, June 2005

Several times each summer, it seems, the Taylor Pond Association receives complaints of folks violating boating laws. Somebody is wake-jumping with a jet-ski; someone is going too fast near a shoreline. Every year at the Annual Meeting, someone suggests that we consider putting some restrictions on boating. I was amazed when I went on the State Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Website and saw just how many lakes and ponds in Maine have instituted boating restrictions! So far, we have not gone that route at Taylor Pond. However, the TPA does hope and expect that local boaters will adhere to the State safety regulations. These reg’s not only protect personal safety, but also help to preserve the health and viability of the resource we all treasure.

Here’s an outline of some of the most useful safety regulations:

Personal water craft:

  • Anyone operating or riding a PWC must wear a personal flotation device (i.e. life jacket).
  • PWCs may not be operated during the hours between sunset and sunrise.
  • A person is guilty of “imprudent operation” if one “engages in prolonged circling, informal racing, wake jumping, or other types of continued and repeated activities that harass another person.”

Waterskiing:

  • A watercraft towing a skier, surfboard, or aquaplane, shall not operate within the water safety zone (i.e. 200 feet of the shoreline), unless taking off or depositing the skier back to shore.
  • A watercraft towing a skier, etc., must have a person aboard (in addition to the operator) who is at least 12 years old and can continually observe the person being towed.
  • You may not tow someone on water skis, etc. between the hours of ½ hour after sunset and ½ hour before sunrise.

Speed:

  • Watercraft may not be operated at a speed greater than “headway speed” (the minimum speed necessary to maintain steerage and control while the craft is moving) within the water safety zone (200 feet of the shoreline). “The operator must consider the effect of the wash or wave created by their watercraft to waterfront piers, floats or other property or shorelines.”

General safety:

  • For craft under 16 feet, you must have one wearable PFD for each person aboard. For craft 16’ and over, you must also have a throwable (Type IV) device on board.
  • Children under 10 years of age must wear a Type I, II, or III PFD while one board all watercraft.

For a complete reading of Maine’s boating regulations, go online to the State website, or pick up a booklet at Auburn Hall. A stack of these booklets sit right on the counter where you go to register your boat or car.

As you take to the water this summer, please respect the health and safety of your fellow boaters and swimmers, as well as the health of Taylor Pond itself. Try to really pay attention to amount of “wash” your boat creates on the shoreline. Think of it in terms of the extra phosphorous-laden soil that dumps directly back into the lake with each wave! Cultivate those good habits that will help to maintain the high quality of the beautiful lake we all enjoy and share!

Nature on Taylor Pond 2005

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by Dana Little 6/19/05

The ice on the pond closed in December this year. Just before it closed the migrating ducks moved through: small groups of Hooded Mergansers, American Mergansers, Buffleheads and Goldeneyes. These ducks joined the loons who remain on the pond until the ice closes in. They stuff themselves with fish, mussels, snails, crayfish and frogs. The mergansers will sit on the surface bobbing on the waves until ready to fish. When fishing they swim with just their heads submerged looking for prey. When they spot a likely fish they dive rapidly, catching it in their serrated bill. If you watch carefully, as they surface, you will notice they flip the fish up in the air and swallow it head first so that the spines on their fins do not catch in the throat. After they fatten up in the pond, and the ice chases them away, they travel down to the coast for the winter, feeding in the ocean. In spring they will return once again on their way to Canada to breed. Only the Hooded Merganser and the Loon remain to breed on the pond.

When the pond froze solid we had a couple of weeks of good skating. At night the ice expands as it freezes. The ice seems to sing and groan from the stress. Sometimes the ice cracks beneath as you skate along. A starry night with the moon shining and the ice singing is an unbeatable experience. We had a few nights where we saw the Northern Lights but they were not as spectacular as last winter. The ice boats made it out a couple of times and achieved some remarkable speeds.

This winter the ice fisherman were busy. Five ice shacks were erected for protection from the bitter cold north winds that cross the frozen snow. Many fisherman did not have a shack and just wore their warmest clothes. The prize for their efforts included many large pickerel, bass and perch, as well as the privilege of being outside in a beautiful spot.

Wendell Nason spotted a deer carcass on the ice just before it broke up. Over the next few days he spotted many crows visiting the site. A Bald Eagle made several visits to feed on the meat, as well as a coyote. Once the ice opened up muskrats could be seen diving for mussels which they would bring up onto the ice and eat.

In the winter of 2003-2004 a Mr. Tufts came at the behest of some of our neighbors and trapped 5 beaver off of the marsh on my property. The beaver are trapped underwater and drown. When we protested, the game officer pointed out that Mr. Tufts needed no permission to trap if he could access the beaver lodge from the frozen pond. This last summer, after intensive trapping all winter, we noticed three large beaver swimming about, no young, however. My reading tells me that trapping does not decrease the beaver population. If all the beaver are removed, new ones move in; if not all beaver are removed, they reproduce at a higher rate due to less competition for food. I know that Beaver cause much destruction as they have cut down a number of my crabapple trees. Four-foot-high turkey fencing firmly staked provides the best protection. Two years ago they tore off and reached over three-foot-high chicken wire to neatly cut down my young trees.

April 8, before the ice and snow were gone, the Wood Frogs started announcing their mating season. By April 22nd egg masses were spotted in the marsh. Spring Peepers started singing the next week and then the Leopard Frogs the following week. Early May the Common Toad began its chorus and the Green Frog was heard first May 20th. When the Bull Frogs begin singing in June we know that warm weather is upon us. On warm and rainy spring nights the amphibians move about. Large numbers of frogs and toads can be seen crossing the roads around the pond. May 21st my son went out with his flashlight and found a half dozen Yellow Spotted Salamanders crossing Garfield Road. Twice that many had been killed by cars. Black with yellow polka dots and up to 9 inches in length, they were spectacular to see. I know of one community in Massachusetts that values its salamanders so highly that it built a tunnel under the road to allow safe passage.

Frog Wood

The first to be heard in the spring, a Wood Frog.

In early April we were flooded out with 5 inches of rain over a couple of days that melted off the winter’s accumulated snow. People who have lived here longer than myself tell me the pond was at its highest in 20 years. We had a few days where we had to canoe down the driveway to get home. The level rapidly dropped and we were grateful that we did not have to ferry the groceries in the canoe. The beavers swam all around the house. One morning on my way to work the beaver kept slapping his tail at me as I waded down the driveway to my parked car. The beaver seemed to be telling me that this was beaver, not human, territory.

Taylor Pond Water Levels & Flooding Report

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By Marc Tardif, 7/3/2013

Last year, the TPA newsletter included an article by Dana Little and Susan Trask summarizing some of the many considerations associated with water level control. The article was largely in response to inquiries the board received from the general membership concerning the extensive flooding we experienced in June of last year. To further address membership concerns, the board established a water level committee with the task of identifying the natural and manmade influences having the biggest impact on water levels and flooding. The ultimate goal of the committee is to determine if viable opportunities exist to reduce the extent and duration of flood events. The board does not endorse control of normal water levels on Taylor Pond, and the water level committee is not engaged with any activity in that regard.

Over the past year, the water level committee has been very active with field surveys and meetings with professionals knowledgeable in hydrology and local conditions. The committee would like to acknowledge and thank the following organizations for their contributions of time and expertise which has led to the preliminary conclusions contained in this report: Stony Brook Land Use Consultants; Jones Associates Land Surveyors; John Field Geology Services; Auburn City Engineers office, Auburn Water and Sewer District, and the Auburn Public Works Department. A substantial amount of information has been provided by these sources and will be made available to view on the TPA website.

Flooding is a function of the broad and complex subject of hydrology. There are three primary factors that affect the extent and duration of a flood event. 1) The amount and rate that water is introduced to the watershed. 2) Storage capacity of the watershed at the onset of precipitation. Before flooding occurs, features in the watershed that are capable of holding water need to fill and overflow. This includes depressions in the land, soil saturation, dams, and the pond itself. 3) The rate at which water is allowed to exit.

Taylor Brook is the primary outlet for water exiting the pond in both normal and flood water conditions. Six features of the brook have been identified from the pond outlet to the Kendall Dam 1.5 miles downstream that affect both conditions in and around Taylor Pond. The brook elevation drops dramatically immediately after the dam, so there is no impact on the speed of pond water level recession from conditions located further downstream.

The first feature effecting the time it takes for water levels to recede is the fact that there are only two feet of elevation drop over the 1.5 mile stretch. The very gradual slope provides minimal energy to move water downstream and away from the pond. Thick vegetation throughout the stream course further reduces flow rates and results in what can be described as a very sluggish waterway.

The second feature of interest can be found a few hundred feet downstream from the pond outlet. Here we find a heavily vegetative area rooted in silt deposits that have raised the bottom of the stream channel. This raised area is referred to as a berm and extends the full width of the brook. The bottom of the channel in the berm area is higher than any other point along the 1.5 mile course. The significance of this naturally created feature is that this is the point where water would stop flowing from the pond and into the brook under receding low water conditions. Water levels below this elevation would be the result of water exiting by ground infiltration, evaporation, and transpiration. The berm has little or no significance relative to flood water dynamics.

The third significant feature is located just downstream of the berm where two culverts are installed at the point that the brook passes under Hotel Rd. Unlike the berm, this feature has no effect on normal water levels. However, under flood water conditions, this feature acts as a dam of sorts that limits pond discharge to the maximum flow capacity of the culverts. Another negative characteristic associated with this feature under flood conditions is that large amounts of water accumulating from the downstream Taylor Brook watershed backs up against the culverts further reducing water discharge rates from the pond.

The fourth feature encountered traveling downstream from Hotel road is a large beaver dam located adjacent to the Granite Mills Estates development. The dam traverses the entire width of the brook, and water elevation drops one foot between the upper and lower sides of the dam. This feature doesn’t have much if any effect on normal water level since its elevation is slightly below the height of the berm. The dam does have some negative impact on mitigating a flood event in that the water volume retained by the dam is volume that is not available for storage of storm water accumulations.

The fifth feature of interest is the slab bridge located on the driveway to the Kendall property. This is probably the most significant manmade influence affecting the time it takes for flood water levels to recede. The bridge acts in the same manner as the Hotel Road culverts by restricting flow rates. The restricted flow at this point exaggerates the backed up water condition at the Hotel Road culverts. The only impact this feature might have on normal water levels in the pond would be the slight increase in the time it takes for water levels to recede.

The sixth and last feature to discuss is the Kendall Dam which is located just below the Kendall driveway bridge. The dam has a higher flow capacity than the bridge, and is equipped with a currently inoperable sluice gate which might be used to further increase flow in a flood event. Flow restriction over the dam is somewhat moot at this time since the upstream bridge is more restrictive than the dam. The dam has little or no effect on normal water levels in Taylor Pond since the elevation of the dam’s spillway is below the berm elevation. The Kendall dam has the same effect as the beaver dam under flood conditions in that the volume of water retained by the dam is volume not available for storage of storm water accumulations.

The information used to prepare this report is reliable and adequately detailed to support the conclusions expressed above. Given the heightened level of understanding we now have, several options to reduce the extent and duration of flood events have been suggested. The most promising options entail methods to increase the flow capacities of the Kendall Road Bridge and Hotel Road culverts. Unfortunately, the existing data we have is not adequate for the purpose of quantifying the extent that any one feature contributes to the overall problem of flooding. If undertaken, the next step in this process would involve an  expert analysis to determine benefits which would be realized by modifying existing features. The value of any proposed benefit would need to be weighed against the cost to implement modifications. To be viable, several state and local authorities having jurisdiction would need to be on board with the process. The concerns articulated by Susan and Dana in the 2012 newsletter remain pertinent and should be revisited before additional action is taken.

Turtles

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Turtles

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.

Female snapping turtle seeking a nesting site.

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.

Painted Turtle hatchling

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.

Turtle painted (2)

Painted Turtle

2013 Geomorphology Report by John Field

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This letter shall serve as a report on the results of a qualitative geomorphic assessment I conducted for the Taylor Pond Association.  The goal of the assessment was to better understand the causes for siltation at the Taylor Pond outlet and to provide management recommendations for controlling flooding and erosion between the outlet and the Hotel Road crossing approximately 950 ft downstream.

This report is available in PDF format.