Sabb_2001 (Read

The Sabbathday Lake
Demonstration Project
A report by the
Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District
With funding provided by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
April 2001
1
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the sponsors of this project and report:
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act]
Thank you to the members of the Demonstration Project Steering Committee:
Norm Chamberlain
Ellie Fellers
Lori Fowler
Abby Lumsden
Gay Marks
Brother Wayne Smith
Thank you to the groups that provided tremendous in kind support for the project :
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Sabbathday Lake Association
Cormier Landscaping
Town of Poland Public Works Department
The Town of New Gloucester
Town of New Gloucester Public Works Department
Residents of Sabbathday Lake
Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District staff that managed this project:
Jeff Brinck, Project Manager
Wendy Garland, Lakes Program Manager
Tamara Lee Pinard, Project Manager
Jeff Edelstein, District Engineer
Cover photo by Ellie Fellers
It is District policy that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex,
religion, disability, age, marital or familial status.
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Introduction
Sabbathday Lake is a wonderful natural resource. But the region is growing. Many
seasonal camps have been converted to year round residences, and the prosperous
economy has resulted in more travel to the area, more recreation on the lake, and
more new residences within the watershed. Inevitably, with development and recreation comes polluted runoff (see inset below). When those pollutants - especially
phosphorus - accumulate in a lake within a watershed, the
result can be lower water quality, a less picturesque and
enjoyable lake, poorer quality wildlife habitat, and lower
property values.
In 1996, the Cumberland County Soil and Water
Conservation District (District) partnered with the Maine
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and residents near Sabbathday Lake to survey the Sabbathday
Lake Watershed to identify and prioritize existing sources
of NPS polluted runoff. The DEP, District, and a team of
17 volunteers conducted surveys in the spring of 1996 to
identify sites where NPS polluted runoff was harming
Sabbathday Lake. In the “Sabbathday Lake Watershed
Survey Project” report, 75 sites were prioritized in terms
of their impact on the lake and their ability to be fixed.
In 1998, the District received a grant from the DEP and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Federal Clean Water Act Section 319 to act on the
results of the survey. The project staff formed a steering committee of local residents and began to plan and implement projects. The goal was to implement a variety of conservation projects at visible locations to educate residents about how they
can participate in watershed protection. This report describes project objectives,
challenges and successes.
This report does not signal the time to sit back
and breathe a sigh of relief. Maintaining the
quality of Sabbathday Lake will take continual
work. The District, DEP and project sponsors
look forward to working with the residents and
municipalities of New Gloucester and Poland to
meet the challenge of keeping Sabbathday Lake
a valuable resource in the future.
Polluted Runoff: Referred to
as “nonpoint source pollution”
or NPS, includes road sand, soil,
phosphorus, nitrogen, bacteria,
debris, and other pollutants
washed into lakes and streams
by water from rainstorms and
snow melt.
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Figure 1. Sabbathday Lake Watershed*
Key to Demonstration Projects Shown on Map
1
2
3
4
Outlet Road Ditch Stabilization
Groleau Residence Drywell and Buffer
Barefoot Beach Shoreline Stabilization,
Buffer Planting, Boat Launch Repair
Allen Road Road Stabilization, Buffer
Planting
5
6
7
8
Sunset Shores Road Ditch Turnouts
Allen Residence Terrace Reconstruction
Pond Road Regrade and Ditch Turnouts
Marston Road Stabilization
* The red line represents the watershed boundary. The land area within the boundary drains to the lake.
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Project Objectives
The objectives of the project were to install conservation projects, provide technical
assistance, and to educate the community and get them involved.
Demonstration Projects: Funding was available to share construction costs of Best
Management Practices (BMPs – see inset) to reduce polluted runoff into the lake.
Sites were chosen based on their visibility, cost and the support of the landowners.
The demonstration projects chosen were on two town roads, one commercial beach
site, two camp roads and four private pieces of
Best Management Practices or
property. Each of these demonstration projects
BMPs: Conservation measures
are shown on a map in Figure 1, and selected
that have been determined to be
projects are described in detail later in this rethe most effective and practical
port.
means of preventing or reducing
erosion and nonpoint source polTechnical Assistance: The project staff visited
lution.
the properties of more than 27 watershed residents to provide technical assistance on erosion
control and conservation measures. After the visits, staff prepared property-specific
recommendations for each resident. The New Gloucester Planning Board requested
that the District provide technical assistance to each resident around the lake that applied for a building or land use permit.
The District thanks those listed below in Table 1 for their interest in learning how to
help protect Sabbathday Lake by controlling erosion on their property. District and
DEP staff are available to provide further technical assistance in the future (contact
information is provided on page 15). Residents are encouraged to contact the District and the DEP with questions regarding erosion problems.
Table 1. Residents that received technical assistance through the project
Residents of Marston Road
Janet Lambert
Bob Klotz
Sandy & Lee Harper
Ellie Fellers
Ruth Faut
Donald O’Malley
Matt Johnson
Dick Allen
Dick Hildebrand
Julie & William Bartlett
The Shaker Society
Roy & Eileen Young
Tom Driscoll
Rodney Bergeron
Kay & Newton Swift
Norm Groleau
Bob & Cathy Thorpe
Alan & Connie Bauer
Steve Driscoll
Fred & Betty Davis
Melissa Thurston-True
Cheryl Fortier
Omer Morin
Joanne & Mike Cloutier
Tom & Sue Wilson
Beth Steele
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Community Involvement/Education: Education of
the watershed residents was an important objective
of the project. As a result, we promoted our project
and involved people so that lessons learned would
be transferred to their own property. For
example, project staff attended Sabbathday Lake
Association meetings and provided project updates.
Press releases were sent, public access cable television stations were notified, and the media was invited to each event held through this project.
Of all the community involvement efforts associated with the project, the most effective were the
buffer workshops. Two workshops were held: one
at Barefoot Beach and another on Allen Road. The
workshops were the culmination of each of these
demonstration projects (described in detail on page
Volunteers stabilize an eroding foot trail
10 and page 9 of this report, respectively). The
as part of the Barefoot Beach workshop.
Barefoot Beach workshop was a fun and educational event for 20 participants. It resulted in about 50 plants in the ground, stone
steps, and mulched walkways. A television news crew was present for the work,
and articles were printed in local newspapers including the Lewiston Sun Journal.
The Allen Road planting workshop drew
16 volunteers that planted sand cherry
What you can do…….
shrubs, native grasses and wildflowers.
The Gray Monument covered the work• Use the demonstration projects
shop with a story and a photo.
as sources for ideas. Agreements
were signed with landowners parFinally, a tour of the demonstration proticipating in the demonstration projects was held, during which residents visjects to ensure that the sites remain
ited project sites and reviewed the conaccessible to people interested in
struction processes for each project. Bill
viewing the projects.
Kiley, a local contractor, and Brother
• Continue to get technical assisWayne Smith and Michelle Groleau, hosts
tance from the District and the
of two of the projects, were available to
DEP.
explain their respective projects.
• Share this report with friends
and neighbors with erosion control
challenges.
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Demonstration Projects
The Groleau Property
The Groleau residence is located on Outlet Road within 250 feet of the shore of Sabbathday Lake. Rain and snow falling on the roof of the house and their driveway
combined with stormwater from the road to create a significant amount of runoff that
carries phosphorus directly into the lake.
The Groleaus partnered with the District to
help protect the lake by reducing the
amount of runoff leaving their property.
Measures taken included:
•
•
Installing a drywell to promote the infiltration of roof runoff
Planting native vegetation in the yard
and along the lake
The Groleaus and Shaker Hill Nurseries
Water leaves the outlet of the roof gutter downworked together to design and install the
spout. The Groleaus had a drywell installed to
native plant gardens, which replaced a sigallow this runoff to infiltrate into the ground.
nificant portion of the lawn on their property. Rugosa rose was planted along the shore of the lake to expand the lake-side
buffer. Because mulched gardens and buffers allow more infiltration than mowed
lawns, the Groleaus reduced the amount of stormwater runoff entering Sabbathday
Lake.
What you can do….
Native plants historically
grew near Sabbathday Lake
and are adapted to the sandy,
acidic soils. They include:
• sand cherry
• blueberry
• rugosa rose
• juniper
• viburnum
• wood fern
• alder
Roof runoff from the house travels through gutters,
into the downspout, and through a pipe extension
that conveys water under the driveway and into the
newly installed drywell. The drywell was installed
at the end of the existing pipe extension because the
downspout on the house is near sidewalks, well
pipes and electrical wires, which would have made
excavation for the drywell hazardous. The drywell
was installed by Rodney Bergeron, a local contracTotal cost of the drywell:
$650.00*
* The Groleau’s paid the entire cost of the gardens,
while the grant picked up the cost of the installation
of the drywell.
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Sunset Shores Road
The Town of New Gloucester’s Public Works Department led a demonstration project to address erosion along Sunset Shores Road. Every year, Sunset Shores had
drainage problems that resulted in wash-boarding, potholes and rutting. The gravel
on the road was eroding and transporting sediment and phosphorus into the lake.
Project staff developed agreements with the landowners adjacent to the ditches to
alleviate concerns of draining runoff and sediment onto their land, and the Town
Public Works Department completed the construction work. The town also agreed
to maintain the structures by removing the gravel sediment periodically. The structures used to control the erosion on Sunset Shores include:
•
•
•
A ditch turnout (below right) to drain runoff away from the road and into
a stable buffer
A level lip spreader (below left) that settles sediment and allows water to
flow into a buffer as a sheet instead of concentrated flow
Temporary mulching and permanent vegetation on the disturbed soils
These structures cost roughly $850 in total. The Town of New Gloucester Public Works
Department graciously provided the labor and materials to complete this project.
What you can do…...
•
•
•
•
•
8
Maintain a proper crown on your driveway.
Install ditch turnouts into stable buffer areas.
Clean out the turnouts when they get full of sand and debris.
Mulch and seed bare soil areas with native grasses.
Form a Road Association. Maintenance over time and sharing of expenses will reduce the need for large scale, expensive fixes in the future.
Allen Road
Allen Road is a private gravel camp road that is used by camp owners along the road
and ice fishermen. Because of its heavy use throughout many seasons and the orientation of the road, runoff was creating road wash-outs and exposing roots of the
large white pine trees on the property of Glenice
Tufts. A partnership between the District, the Town
of New Gloucester and Glenice Tufts resulted in the
use of this area to demonstrate the following conservation measures:
• An open-top culvert in the road
• A ditch turnout
• Terracing of a steep slope
• Permanent mulching
• Planting native trees, shrubs and grasses
Dwarf sand cherries, donated by the
USDA-NRCS, were chosen for
planting because their spreading
structure and mat-like root system
holds soils in place, thereby reducing erosion.
Cormier Landscaping installed the
conservation measures at the site.
Sixteen volunteers from the community helped plant the sand cherries,
grasses and perennials.
What you can do…….
•
•
Total Cost of this Project:
•
Retaining Wall:
Loam and Mulch:
Labor:
Plant material:
Total:
$350
200
1,000*
200*
$1,750
•
•
Ensure that you have a good base of soil
for planting and if you do not, add loam.
Plant native grasses, perennials, trees
and shrubs.
Maintain a cover of mulch until the
vegetation becomes established.
Use retaining walls only in areas well
above the high water line.
Contact the town code enforcement office and DEP for permits before disturbing soil within 250 feet of the lake.
* estimated because portions of
these were donated.
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Barefoot Beach
Barefoot Beach is the only commercial facility on Sabbathday Lake and until recently was the site of some serious erosion challenges. Jeff and Sandra Parshall operate Barefoot Beach and Sandra’s Soft Serve and were eager to protect the quality
of the lake and their investment. They partnered with the District to implement the
following variety of conservation measures at their property:
•
•
•
•
•
Before
Shoreline stabilization
Planting of permanent vegetation
Permanent mulching
Boat launch stabilization
Foot trail stabilization
Jeff and Sandra Parshall did much of the
work themselves, and volunteers were recruited to spread the loam, stabilize the foot
trails, and plant the vegetation. Contractors
were hired to spread the rip-rap and refurbish the concrete boat ramps. Fox-51 News
and the Lewiston Sun Journal covered the
volunteer effort.
After
Erosion (above) was stabilized by rip-rap, loam
and mulch (below).
Total Cost of this Project:
Rip-rap/loam/mulch/stone: $2,500
Silt fence, other materials:
200
Boat ramp concrete:
2,500
Labor:
3,800*
Plant material:
400
Total:
$9,400
* estimated - most labor was donated.
What you can do…….
•
•
•
•
10
Properly install a silt fence on construction sites to stop sediment
from entering lake and then remove it when the area becomes stable.
Place loam and at least 4” of mulch on gradual slopes, and then
Plant native trees, shrubs, and grasses.
Use properly maintained and designated boat launches.
Outlet Road
The western portion of Outlet Road passes the lake’s northern shore and is located
within the Town of Poland. The ditch along the first half mile of Outlet Road near
the Shaker Society property has been a perennial source of polluted runoff into a
small brook that flows into the lake. Bud Jordan from the Town of Poland Public
Works Department partnered with the District to fix the eroding ditch by installing
the following conservation measures:
•
•
•
Planting permanent vegetation
Temporary mulch
Construction of a check dam
•
•
•
Proper ditch shaping
Proper culvert sizing and placement
Rock-lined aprons
The Outlet Road ditch
before construction is
shown at left looking
east. Notice the
v-shaped and eroded
bottom and slopes. A
portion of the ditch
after reshaping is
shown at right looking
west on Outlet Road.
Notice the trapezoidshaped bottom, shallow slopes, and riprap lining.
What Town Road Crews can do….
•
•
•
•
•
•
Construct ditches with flat bottoms instead of V-shaped bottoms.
Ditch side slopes should be no steeper than 2:1 (run:rise) slope.
Use angular rip-rap to line ditches with a pitch steeper than 5%.
Install a settling structure before the ditch enters a stream floodplain.
Seed all disturbed areas to limit erosion.
Remove sediment from all settling basins regularly.
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The Allen Residence
Terracing using retaining walls is a common method of reducing the erosion on
steep slopes. However, retaining walls deteriorate over time creating a risk of washouts and severe erosion. The retaining wall along the beach at the Allen residence
on Shaker Road was in need of repair, especially where the walking path passed
through a split in the wall. The most cost effective solution was to replace the wall
and modify the design to stabilize the wall’s shoulders at the path’s entrance. The
District partnered with Mr. Allen and Cormier Landscaping to reconstruct the wall.
The wall, left, showed signs
of considerable deterioration.
Had the wall failed, tons of
soil would have eroded into
the lake and a couple of large
trees would have fallen. The
failing wall was replaced and
shown in the photo on the
right. “Deadmen” are structures (seen in the photo on
the right protruding from the
inside of the wall into the
bank) that add stability and
longevity to the wall.
The entire wall cost about $5,000. Mr. Allen shared over half the cost of the project.
Labor was also donated by Mr. Allen and his family.
What you can do…..
Following is a prioritized list of options for bank erosion control near water bodies:
• Vegetation helps to buffer the lake, is beneficial to wildlife and needs little if any
maintenance.
• Riprap works well on steeper slopes, but should be over-seeded with grasses to
provide habitat and to keep rocks and runoff cool for cold-water fish species.
• Retaining walls should be used only if the site is excessively steep, or if a failing
wall has trees grown in behind it that will likely fall if the wall is removed. In most
cases, the DEP will not allow creation of a new wall within 25’ of high water.
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Permits and Ordinances
Reasonable laws and ordinances can protect us and the environment. The protection
of Sabbathday Lake is ensured through the good will of residents around the lake,
and through laws and ordinances created and enforced by the State and Town.
But how do you know when laws apply to
your plans and when they don’t? Soil disturbance and/or clearing of vegetation within
250 feet of the lake shore falls under the
Shoreland Zoning Act and is administered
by the Town through the Code Enforcement
Officer and the Town Planning Board. This
law requires that plans that will disturb soil
and/or vegetation are reviewed by the Code
-from Protecting Maine’s Natural Resources – Volume 1, Maine DEP, 1996.
Enforcement Officer and Planning Board.
Soil disturbance within 100 feet of the lake
shore also falls under the Natural Resources Protection Act, which is administered by the Maine DEP. To ensure that permits for projects that will not result in
significant disturbance are processed swiftly, the DEP has established a streamlined
permit process called “Permit by Rule”. These one page forms (shown below) are
simple to fill out and allow the DEP to quickly review the project.
“The Natural Resources Protection Act seeks to establish reasonable regulation in order to assure
responsible development that
does not harm Maine’s precious
natural systems.”
The project partners encourage you to contact the
DEP and the Town Code Enforcement Officer if
you have any plans to construct or relocate a structure, clear vegetation, create a new path or driveway, stabilize a shoreline or otherwise disturb the
soil on your property. Even if projects are
planned with the intent of enhancing the environment — such as stabilizing a bank along the shore
that may be eroding — contact the DEP and Town
to be sure. See page 15 for contact information.
The appropriate permits were obtained for each of
the demonstration projects outlined in this report.
This report should not be used as the sole source of information about necessary permits
and ordinances relating to lakes, streams and other protected areas. It is the responsibility of the landowners to abide by State laws and municipal ordinances.
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Reference Guide for Common Conservation Measures
Open Top Culvert: Use
this structure in a sloped
gravel driveway or camp
road that does not get
plowed in the winter. Place
it at a 30 degree angle to the
road edge and point the outlet toward a stable buffer.
Remove leaves and debris
annually.
Rubber Bar: Use this structure
in a sloped gravel driveway or
camp road. It can be plowed
over only if the plow operator is
aware of its presence and lifts
the plow blade slightly. Place it
at a 30 degree angle to the road
edge and point the outlet toward
a stable buffer.
Infiltration Trenches: Use these structures along the edges of driveways, or under the drip line of a roof. Grade surrounding areas gently to encourage flow into the
trench. A larger drainage area requires a
deeper or wider infiltration trench.
14
Drywell: Use a drywell to collect runoff
from roof gutter downspouts. Drywells
can be covered with sod, or left exposed
for easy access and cleanout. Drywells
and infiltration trenches work best in sandy
or gravelly soils.
Publications and Resource List
Androscoggin Valley SWCD and Lake & Watershed Resources Management Associates. 1998. The
Buffer Handbook: A Guide to Creating Vegetated Buffers for Lakefront Properties. 20 pgs plus inserts
and attachments.
Cumberland County SWCD and Maine DEP. March, 1991. Maine Erosion and Sediment Control
Handbook for Construction: Best Management Practices. 266 pgs.
Kennebec County SWCD and Maine DEP. June, 2000. Camp Road Maintenance Manual: A Guide
for Landowners. 54 pgs.
Maine DEP. 1996. Protecting Maine’s Natural Resources – Volume 1. A Citizen’s Guide to the Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA). DEPLW96-23. 35 pgs.
Maine DEP. December, 1997. A Homeowner’s Guide to Environmental Laws Affecting Shorefront
Property in Maine’s Organized Towns. DEPLW-38-B98. 28 pgs.
Maine DEP. 1999. Maine Shoreland Zoning – A Handbook for Shoreland Owners. DEPLW1999-2.
34 pgs.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Gardening to Conserve Maine’s Native Landscape:
Plants to Use and to Avoid. Bulletin #2500. June, 1999. Folded leaflet.
Maine Soil & Water Conservation District Offices
Androscoggin Valley
753-9400 x 3
Knox/Lincoln Counties
C. Aroostook County
764-4770
Oxford County
S. Aroostook County
532-2087
Penobscot County
St. John Valley
834-3311
Piscataquis County
Cumberland County
839-7839
Somerset County
Franklin County
778-4767
Waldo County
Kennebec County
622-7847 x 3
Washington County
York County
324-7015
273-2005
743-5789
947-6622
564-2321
474-8324
338-1964 x 2
255-3995
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Land and Water Quality
Southern Maine Regional Office
State House Station 17
312 Canco Road
Augusta, Maine 04333
Portland, Maine 04103
(207) 287-3901
(207) 822-6300
Towns Adjacent to Sabbathday Lake
Town of New Gloucester
385 Intervale Road, PO Box 82
New Gloucester, Maine 04260
(207) 926-4126
Town of Poland
1231 Maine St., PO Box 38
Poland, Maine 04274-0038
(207) 998-2002
15
Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District
381 Main Street Suite 3
Gorham, ME 04038
207-839-7839
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