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.