by bill dexter • mpa board member
Did you know that PHOSPHORUS is one of the more damaging substances that makes its way into Moose Pond? It is. An excess of phosphorus in a lake contributes to excess algae and/or cyanobacteria growth, making the lake cloudy green and smelly. Over time, as these plants die and sink to the bottom of the lake, they decompose and begin to rob the lake of vital oxygen supplies.
Did you know that MOST of the phosphorus comes from run-off from our lakefront properties? It does.
Are you aware that there are BEST PRACTICES to reduce or prevent phosphorus from running off into Moose Pond? THERE ARE!
And did you realize that there is a NO COST, COMPLETELY PRIVATE evaluation program designed to help us do this? THERE IS – THE LAKESMART PROGRAM!
One of the most frequent contributors to run-off into Moose Pond from our properties is unimpeded water coming from driveways and parking areas, down a sloped hill or bank. There are two great ways to stop or mitigate this unhelpful run-off. The first (see picture) – and one of the simplest and least costly methods – is to build an above ground berm, or barrier, to divert water into more thickly vegetated areas where run-off can readily be absorbed. The second is to vegetate the area (ideally with native plants – blueberry bushes work great!) down slope between the lake shore and the areas that contribute to the run-off. Like the berm, this helps with absorbing any run-off that is occurring.
Take advantage of the LakeSmart program!
If you would like to take advantage of the LakeSmart program, here are the basics:
- It is a free program – there are no costs associated with the LakeSmart property inspection process
- The inspection is fully confidential
- It takes about an hour to complete the evaluation
- Shortly after the inspection, you will receive recommendations about best practices you could adopt to lessen your impact on Moose Pond
- MATCHING FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE MPA for any work you undertake to reduce run off (up to 50% of cost or $1000 max)
- You can qualify for a “LakeSmart Award” (see picture)
In 2022, 15 properties were evaluated on Moose Pond and 10 awards were given/recommended.
If you want to learn more about the LakeSmart program or set up a LakeSmart evaluation, contact our Moose Pond LakeSmart coordinator, Bill Dexter, at dexathome@gmail.com, or by cell phone at 207-232-0726.
