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The Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation
District is pleased to announce that it has received the Beech Hill Pond
Watershed Survey 319 Grant from the Maine Department of Environmental
Protection. The main purpose of this grant is to document all soil erosion
issues in the Beech Hill Pond Watershed which encompasses approximately 9 miles
and a good portion of the town of Otis.
Soil
erosion is a major source of phosphorus, which can cause excessive plant growth,
algal
blooms, and murky water. Phosphorus
and other pollutants reach the lake through storm water runoff from anywhere in
the watershed. This survey involves walking properties in the watershed to
identify how water drains into the lake through ditches, small streams, or
surface runoff. Our goal is to document trouble
spots and then work to find reasonable solutions to reduce the amount of soil
erosion and phosphorus draining into the lake. Any information that we
collect is strictly used to analyze the pollution sources to Beech Hill Pond and
none of the information gathered will be used for enforcement purposes.
We are planning this
survey for Spring-Fall of 2010. If
your property lies within the boundaries of the Beech Hill Pond Watershed (see
the map), we are planning to include your property in the survey (letters
announcing this survey will be sent to all Otis residents in February/March).
If you are willing to allow the survey team to walk across your property, you
don’t need to take any action. If you do not want your property to be included,
send a letter to Megan Facciolo, District Manager of the Hancock County Soil and
Water Conservation District, 190 Bangor Road, Ellsworth, ME 04605, by March 29,
2010, and we will ensure that no one crosses onto your property while conducting
our survey.
We are also in need of
volunteers to help conduct the survey.
Training for the survey will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2010 and
fieldwork will start that day. The survey team will be made up of residents
of the town of Otis and Beech Hill Pond property owners- your friends and
neighbors. Most survey sections can be completed by a team of two people in a
weekend. Please consider becoming a volunteer to help carry out this survey.
If you are interested in being part of the survey team, please call the District
office at 667-8663.
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