by Dana Little

2026 is the second and final year of an $82,818 federal grant to address non-point source pollution (primarily erosion) in the Taylor Pond watershed. Taylor Pond Association (TPA), working with Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District (AVSWCD), was awarded the highly competitive grant based on a 2023 watershed survey that identified 83 sites for improvement. Funding for this project, in part, was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.  The funding is administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with EPA.  

Work commenced on large and small projects in 2025 and will be completed later this year. As of June 8, volunteers have contributed over 365 hours of work, more than 20 site visits have been completed, TPA has given out $1,000 in local grants and AVSWCD has awarded $2,470 in federal grant money to homeowners for completed work on two projects. Three additional projects have been completed and are awaiting reimbursement. One additional residential project is set to be completed in the next month. There is still funding for one or two more projects, and the amount of funding that each project can receive has been increased to $1,500.  Be on the lookout for signs around the watershed (either along roads or the shoreline) highlighting completed projects.  

This summer, work on larger projects on West Shore, Taywood and Waterview Roads will be completed. These private road projects include upgrading culverts, installing or improving upon ditching, creating a monopitch of the road, and other practices that will reduce runoff that leads to the pond.  We are working with the towns of Auburn and Minot on projects; Minot has already completed a $15,000 project on Marston Hill Road, upgrading the culvers on the stream that feeds into Lapham Brook. Auburn has made improvements on the catch basins near Terrace and Sand Beach Roads. AVSWCD has presented two educational workshops–one on improving buffers to reduce shoreline erosion and one on gravel road maintenance. A  third informative presentation will be held this summer. 

At this time, there is still funding available to address large and small projects this year. Matching funds are available to fund erosion control measures on your property or road.  If you would like to participate, please email Dana Little at danawl585@gmail.com or Emma Lorusso at projectdirector@androscogginswcd.org. The Taylor Pond watershed will be eligible for this funding for the next 8 years, if Taylor Pond Association chooses to move forward with another grant application in 2027 or 2028.  After 2034, TPA would have to conduct another watershed survey before becoming eligible again. Right now, we are not considering reapplication in 2027, but if you have a big project that you would like to be considered, please reach out. 

In addition to these federal grant funds, TPA participates in LakeSmart, an ongoing education and outreach program that rewards lakefront homeowners who manage their land to protect water quality. The program is free, non-regulatory, and voluntary. Participating homeowners receive individualized suggestions for keeping stormwater pollutants out of lake water. Properties participating in this program qualify for up to $500 in matching funds provided and directly administered by Taylor Pond Association. I will evaluate your property and make recommendations that will help protect water quality. Homeowners are not required to follow any of the recommendations, but if they do, a TPA grant may pay up to $500 of the implementation cost. I can also refer you to the federal grant program if indicated. 

The pond remains healthy due to the great care so many of you provide by participating in programs like these and everyday lake-friendly practices.  

by Woody Trask

Water quality monitoring was conducted monthly from June through September as part of the State of Maine Lake Stewards Volunteer Monitoring Program.  

The condition that made 2025 stand out was the exceptionally low water level caused by the extreme drought conditions experienced in central Maine. Some properties had beaches where there had never been one. A major benefit of there being little rainfall was a reduction in the concentration of algae feeding phosphorus being carried into the pond. No algae blooms were reported, and a survey of the pond did not find any invasive species of plant growth.  

The clarity of the water was better than the historical average, possibly because of the dry conditions and consequently less runoff from rain coming into the pond. The average water temperature was 74.4 degrees which is 2 degrees cooler than 2024’s average. June was the warmest month at 77.5 degrees.  

The “ice in” date was December 7, 2025, 17 days earlier than the average which has been recorded since 2014. The “ice out” date was April 8, 2026, 5 days earlier than the average of all the dates recorded since 1969. The average of the first ten years recorded is April 23^rd so it is clear that “ice out” is occurring earlier over time. This is significant since ice cover acts as a protective blanket for the pond. This seasonal dormancy gives the ecosystem a biological “reset” button for the spring. 

by Dana Little

Summer 2026 is ready for launch–both literally and figuratively! Volunteers worked for the last 3 years to secure safe and reliable boat access for TPA members. This spring, Taylor Pond Yacht Club opened a carefully rehabilitated boat launch and is providing spring and fall access to TPA members with deeded property access to Taylor Pond. The Yacht Club is not just our new boat launch host, but a good neighbor on the pond and a longtime TPA member. Their leadership in this project has been instrumental and we look forward to a lasting partnership. Read more on pages 4-5. 

If it seems like we’ve been talking about “the watershed grant” for even longer than we’ve been talking about a boat launch, it’s because we have! It was 2022 when we started planning a Watershed Survey. By the time the grant funding ends later this year, it will have been nearly 5 years of planning and implementation to address deteriorating shoreline and non-point sources of erosion with the $82,818 grant. Our implementation partner is the Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District. The grant is funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with EPA. On pages 6-7, you can see some of the progress made on small projects last summer and read about this summer’s big plans. 

Two years in a row, Taylor Pond’s loons have nested on the platform provided and monitored by the Audubon Society. And two years in a row, the happy union has produced a loon chick in July. Call us sentimental, but we’re hoping good things come in threes and that this summer we’ll see another loonlet hatch on Taylor Pond. It’s a wonderful testament to the efforts of Maine Audubon, the stewardship of resident volunteers, and the ecology of our pond. Keep your eyes open for evidence and please steer clear of the nesting platform when out boating this summer.  

Each summer day, especially one that is hot and a little long, is another chance to linger pondside and soak up the great benefit of this ecological treasure. Whether you paddle a kayak, captain a boat, throw in a fishing line, dangle your feet off the dock or dive in for a refreshing swim, I hope you soak up the joy of summer on the pond. We work hard to maintain the ecology of Taylor Pond for wildlife and the greater good, but enjoying it ourselves is a pretty great idea, too! Thank you, pond neighbors, for your time, talent and support of Taylor Pond Association. Have a wonderful summer. 

by Dana Little

Who knew that Cyclops thrive in our pond in the billions? You need not fear these one-eyed creatures; you could fit a dozen in a drop of water. In the spring, when the water turns over it brings up many nutrients causing their population to boom. If you peer off your dock at the right time, you may see thousands of tiny bodies (about 2mm long) flitting about in short jerky movements. They have one large red eye (hence the name cyclops) and the females drag a pair of egg sacs behind them. They serve as an important source of food for all creatures larger than they are, especially young fish. They are only found in freshwater lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams. They are part of the abundant life found in our pond called plankton, which are tiny creatures that float in the water.

Cyclops can carry a disease in tropical areas called Dracunculosis, caused by drinking water that contains cyclops infected with a parasitic worm. Fortunately, this does not occur in the United States. Cyclops can however be an intermediate host for tapeworms. People do not develop tapeworms from drinking the water, instead, fish eat the cyclops, the tapeworm develops in the fish and then people who eat raw or undercooked fish acquire the tapeworm.  

The invasive Spiny Water Flea and Zebra Mussels represent the biggest threat to the abundance of Cyclops and all freshwater plankton. Both invasive species can be transferred from infected lakes to uninfected lakes in boats, bait fish pails, and aquariums. Once in a lake they rapidly multiply and cause severe declines in plankton populations. When these invasives have been introduced in lakes, severe declines in fish populations are recorded. Currently, neither invasive species is present in Maine. To prevent invasive species in our pond, cleaning boats that have been in other ponds before entering Taylor Pond is critical. You never want to introduce any water or a plant from another pond into Taylor Pond. 

So, swim peacefully in Taylor Pond, knowing that you bathe with an abundance of Cyclops that indicate we have a healthy pond.  

We will hold our annual meeting this year at Kristi’s Cafe. Anyone is welcome to attend, only members can vote however. We will have a business meeting in which we will update you on the association’s activities over the last year and vote for membership on the board. All current board members whose terms are expiring have agreed to stay on the board: Mary Ann Ashton, Michele Cullen, Larry Faiman, Ed Gray, Dana Little, Donna Morin and Kristi Norcross. There are two nominations for new board members: Cheryl Penney and Adam West. Board members who will servie out their second year are Peter Bingham, Luci Merin, Barbara Mitchell and Woody Trask. After the business meeting we will have light snacks and time to socialize.

by Woody Trask

This report summarizes the findings of the 2025 water quality monitoring program for Taylor Pond in Auburn, Maine (MIDAS ID#3750).

Clarity readings and water quality measurements were conducted monthly from June through September by Woody Trask with additional clarity readings taken June into October by Michael Heskanen.

Since 2004, Taylor Pond Association has been collecting its own water samples and performing most tests. Phosphorus analyses are conducted by the DHHS Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory.

Result summary:

Whereas 2024 was a very good year number wise for Taylor Pond, 2025 was a pretty normal for all properties tested. Color and clarity values were average for the year in spite of having excellent values in September, the numbers most likely due to drought conditions resulting in little runoff into the pond. The highest clarity reading was 6.1 m, slightly lower than the high of 6.25m in 2024. The average of all clarity readings was 5.0m which is 0.65m lower than last year’s average reading but higher than the historic average of 4.76m. On average, the water had more coloration than 2024 with an average color value of 25 versus 2024’s value of 18.75. 2025 experienced few rain events which created drought conditions resulting in the lowest water level experienced in recent memory.

The average 5 meter core sample phosphorus reading of 10.25ppb was slightly lower/better than last year’s average but slightly higher than the historic average. The average 12 meter bottom phosphorus reading of 31.75ppb was quite a bit higher than in 2024 and higher than the historic average. This could be due to less dilution due to low water conditions.

Values for pH and alkalinity where all within the normal range of variation from the historic mean. The conductivity was higher than both last year’s reading and the historical average.

The average surface temperature taken at 1 meter depth was 23.6oC (74.5°F), which is 1.2°C (2.6°F) cooler than last year’s record high and only 0.4°C (0.7°F) higher than the average for the past 16 years.

There were no algal blooms reported in 2025.

“Ice-in” occurred on December 23, 2024. The “ice-out” date was April 13, 2025, which happens to be the historical average going back to 1969, giving a fairly average “ice cover” period of 111 days. Longer periods of ice cover are considered beneficial to the health of ponds

The annual meeting was called to order at 7 pm at Kristi’s Café with 71 members present. 

Dana Little, TPA Board President, welcomed the membership and thanked Kristi Norcross for hosting the meeting at Kristi’s Café to accommodate the increasing attendance.  He deferred the business meeting until after the guest speaker. 

Guest Speaker – Emma Lorusso 

Introduction: Emma Lorusso is Project Manager with the Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District. She is currently overseeing the implementation of watershed improvement projects for the Taylor Pond watershed funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. Emma worked with Taylor Pond Association to coordinate the 2023 Watershed Survey and wrote the successful federal grant funding these projects.   

Emma noted that the grant received was approximately $82,000. As a matching grant, it will have a $164,000 impact in watershed improvement activity. The grant is being implemented over a two-year period ending October 31, 2026.  Funding in the grant includes road improvements on Taywood, Waterview, Wyman and Young’s Corner Roads to control erosion into Taylor Pond and funding for residential projects. This year’s work has been largely preparatory, including site plans and applications for permits. There will be more to report on and noticeable work in the coming months. She is working with the city on road projects. There are still some openings for small residential projects eligible for $750 in matching funds each.  Technical staff have visited 10 properties so far to make recommendations. If property owners are interested, they should email or call her.  In addition to direct project work, the grant has funded two workshops; one on gravel road maintenance and one on planting on the shoreline for erosion control.   

Business Meeting Called to Order at 7:20 pm by Dana Little 

2025 Review—Dana Little, President 

Dana noted that the year has been busy and productive. He thanked Emma for her work on the watershed grant and encouraged property owners to follow through with the project to continue to protect water quality through erosion control. He credited the Facebook group, Taylor Pond Ripples, with keeping dialogue open on wide-ranging subjects—from boat launch questions to loon nesting notices. TPA has been in discussion with the Taylor Pond Yacht Club to gain access to a boat launch following the closing of the long-time launch on Sunrise Lane. Both TPA and TPYC see the benefit of limited boat access to Taylor Pond to avoid an open public boat launch that could overwhelm the small pond with traffic and increase the threat of invasive plant contamination.   

TPYC has done preliminary work on a new boat launch, with additional work scheduled for September 23-25. The work that can be done on those dates will determine the future timeline and completion of a TPYC launch. Following that, TPYC membership will still need to determine if the launch will be open to non-members (who are Taylor Pond residents) or not. Dana and Barbara Mitchell are on the TPYC Boat Launch Committee and will keep Taylor Pond Association informed of activity and decisions. Potential arrangements for TPA member/residents to access the new TPYC launch could take any number of formats, including the model of limited dates to launch used this Spring. Discussions about access are preliminary pending actual launch construction, TPYC member notice and TPYC membership approval. In the meantime, Peter Bingham and Kristi Norcross have made arrangements for boat launching and removal this year. 

Boat Launching 2025—Peter Bingham and Kristi Norcross 

In May, TPA members were able to launch their boats at the old Sunrise Lane launch on two specific dates.  Approximately 70 craft were launched on those dates for a $30 donation each. And with the help of volunteers. Mike and Dawn Croteau also allowed access through their launch to those who could not make the two dates or had boat trouble and needed access during the summer.  The Croteaus have generously offered to open their launch on Garfield Road for residents to take their boats out this fall.  There will be 3 dates in September with an online signup. Peter Bingham will give notice of dates ad a sign-up link through Taylor Pond Ripples on Facebook and email.   

2025 Financial Review – Ed Gray, Treasurer 

Current Balance $38,215.95 

159 Dues Paying Members (out of 212 invoices sent) 

Water Quality Report – Woody Trask 

Water is a little less clear this year, with clarity readings to an average depth of 17.4 feet, not as good as last year’s average readings of 18.4 f. 

Water Quality is good; Phosphorus readings are very good 

Water temperature average of 3 degrees warmer 

No reports of algae 

Positive statistics are a result of everyone doing their part to make water quality a priority 

Nomination and Election of Board Members – Luci Merin,. Secretary 

The following board members are nominated for a two-year term August 2025-August 2027: Peter Bingham, Luci Merin, Barbara Mitchell, Kristi Norcross, Woody Trask 

A motion to approve the slate of board members was made by Judy Andrews, seconded by Pat Garcia and APPROVED by a majority of the membership. 

Bill Turner has resigned as a board member and was thanked for his service 

A motion to approve the minutes of the 2024 Annual Meeting was made by Dana Little, seconded by Ed Gray and approved by a majority of the membership. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm, at which point members enjoyed refreshments and socializing. 

Learn about plants that thrive on the shoreline of lakes and ponds and how they can improve water quality across the whole pond!

Taylor Pond Association has been working closely with Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District on a federally funded watershed grant for Taylor Pond and is pleased to announce this free workshop which will occur at the Taylor Pond Yacht Club on August 25.

Funding for this workshop, in part, was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The funding is administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with EPA. EPA does not endorse any commercial products or services mentioned.

To find out more information and to register.

By Dana Little

Taylor Pond hosts a diverse range of aquatic flowering plants. People often ask if these green “weeds” are overtaking the pond. These plants have lived in our pond for thousands of years, appearing here after the glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago. Most are flowering plants, not algae, which do not flower and are more abundant in salt water. One notable flowering species is the Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata). I enjoy swimming up next to the flower and inhaling the pleasant scent. 

Most flowering plants in Taylor Pond lack the spectacular flowers of Fragrant Water Lily. More commonly they have small green flowers that are easy to miss and difficult to appreciate. Perfoliate Pondweed (Potamogeton perfoliatus) is a typical representative. It grows in shallow water, up to 12 feet long, and its green flower hardly pokes above water when fully grown.  

Perfoliate Pondweed (Potamogeton perfoliatus) with flower at the tip. 

Michael Heskanen and I perform a yearly census of the plants of Taylor Pond looking for invasive species. You may see us slowly cruising the shoreline in the summer peering into the water. In 2024 we found over forty different species of flowering plants.  Most importantly, we found no invasive plants.  The most common invasive plant in Maine is Variable Leaf Milfoil. This plant grows up to 12 feet in length and can form dense mats on the surface that can impair boating, fishing, and swimming. The introduction of a single fragment can result in the infestation of the entire pond.  

Many of the surrounding waters, including Lake Auburn and the Basin, Thompson Lake and others, have invasive plants. Maine recommends that boat owners moving between bodies of water carefully clean off any mud or plants from the boat and trailer, drain off any water from the boat and motor, and allow the trailer and boat to dry in the sun to kill any invasive plants or animals.  

People often ask me if they can remove plants from in front of their property. Maine allows homeowners to hand-remove vegetation in an area 10 feet wide and perpendicular from their shoreline out into the lake. This allows a place to swim and a passage for boats. To do this, Maine requires a “Permit by Rule” from the DEP.  

Finally, I feel compelled to share with you one of my favorite aquatic plants, Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata). The purple flowers often line the shore in July and August. They make living on a pond in Maine a great blessing. Besides being beautiful, aquatic flowering plants provide places for fish to hide, consume the carbon dioxide that we exhale and produce the oxygen that we breathe.  

Dana Little 

Pickerel Weed with a background of Button Bush and a foreground of Fragrant Water Lilies.