by Dana Little
Taylor Pond Association (TPA) is dedicated to protecting the quality of water in and life on the pond. Thanks to the vigilance and partnership of property owners, we continue to report that both are very good! As a community and as stewards of this valuable natural resource, we can take pride in our collective work…and then redouble our efforts to do even better next year. Your individual work–avoiding pesticides and fertilizer, preventing runoff, being responsible boaters, and respecting wildlife habitat–is ongoing and critical to pond health.
WATER QUALITY
Central to our mission is monitoring the quality of water in Taylor Pond. Woody Trask manages testing and provides the annual water quality report, where we are reminded that invasive aquatic plants represent the most imminent danger to our enjoyment of the pond. A pond filled with invasive plants can make swimming and boating unpleasant, even impossible. Last year Michael Heskanen and I toured the entire lake looking for these aliens, and are happy to report that none were found from the surface. This summer, we are looking for volunteer swimmers and divers to expand this surveillance underwater. And as always, it is critical for boaters to thoroughly inspect their boats before launching.
PROPERTY VALUES & POND HEALTH
We work with local and state officials responding to inquiries, and advocate for the health of our pond. Read Barbara Mitchell’s update on Auburn’s reevaluation of Taylor Pond properties and the status of planned improvements to the Hotel Road Taylor Brook culvert for flood mitigation. Please consider taking advantage of the LakeSmart program –a free evaluation of your property, suggestions for improvements that will keep the pond healthy and a possible $500 matching grant to make those improvements.
BECOME A VOLUNTEER
Please consider volunteering with Taylor Pond Association, which depends on the time and talents of many. There are many ways to serve, including attending public meetings, water quality monitoring, advocacy, education or Board membership. TPA maintains a website www.taylorpond.org where you can read more about the organization and its activities. Learn more about lake stewardship in general, and how you can be involved, online at either the Lake Stewards of Maine (www.mainevlmp.org) or the Maine Lakes Society (mainelakessociety.org). Both are holding their annual conferences virtually this year, providing these excellent education opportunities to a broader audience (see page 11).
ANNUAL MEETING & COVID-19
Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for August 23 at Taylor Pond Yacht Club, pending COVID-19 developments and our ability to offer a safe meeting format. We will keep you updated via email. As noted on the invoice sent in May, dues are optional this year in response to the economic hardship of the pandemic and therefore a reminder invoice is not enclosed in this newsletter. Your support of our mission, however you are able to show it, is always highly valued. Thank you.