By Linda Rice
Secretary North Pond Association
SMITHFIELD — The North Pond Assocation, in partnership with the 7 Lakes Alliance, has received and implemented the first phase of a grant awarded in the fall of 2018 for $80,000. North and Little ponds are surrounded by the towns of Mercer, Rome and Smithfield.
Along with matching funds, the grant’s goal was to implement projects initially recommended in the North Pond watershed-based protection plan.These projects have been completed under the direction of project manager Charlie Baeder from 7 Lakes Alliance.
In 2018, the Maine Department of Transportation matched funds to add riprap and pre-seeded erosion control blankets along Rt. 137, specifically on the shoreline property belonging to 170 Lake View Drive. The DOT was also tasked in repairing or replacing some culverts along Lake View Drive.
Continuing 2018 projects, Smithfield matched $15,000 to stabilize a 300 foot-long embankment on North Shore Drive with riprap, seeding and hay. Approximately 225 feet was completed. Finally, in 2018, a thorough survey was conducted by 7 Lakes Alliance Youth Conservation Corps and NPA at Pine Tree Camp to confirm erosion sites that could be mitigated with Best Management Practices beginning in 2019.
At least 19 erosion sites at Pine Tree Camp were repaired by the corps, including adding erosion control paths, crushed rock drip lines, armoring drainage ditches and a rain garden.
The NPA’s financial support of the corps as well as Pine Tree Camp’s monetary contribution for materials for those projects were the matching funds needed to provide erosion control and non-point source pollution runoff mitigation, protecting the water quality of North Pond. Projects were undertaken at 170 Lake View Drive, Meadow Lane on the Serpentine Stream in Smithfield, and rip rap placement on the last 75 feet of the embankment on North Shore Drive. Smaller projects included embankment and stabilization with new plantings for erosion control, ditching and addition of culverts and repairing portions of a private road. Lynch Landscaping assisted with these projects.
The last two years yielded measurable results thanks to the participation of the Maine DOT, Smithfield and the 7 Lakes Alliance Youth Conservation Corps. Above and beyond those accomplishments, dozens of property owners on the shores of North and Little ponds also played an important part in helping to control erosion. More than a dozen best practices were installed on private properties either by youth corps, landscaping contractors or by the owners themselves including rain gardens, buffer plants, ECM, riprap, drip-line edges, infiltration steps and much more. With a little help from the NPA through our Watershed Financial Award program, thousands of dollars were contributed by these lakeside landowners to help protect the water quality of our pond.
Most recently, the association has been awarded a second grant of $118,758 as part of its Phase II North Pond Watershed Protection Project, to be implemented in 2020 and 2021. Funding for this project 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 the EPA.
