In June 2022 our DEP-led volunteer survey identified 116 pollution sites, including 22 high-impact areas of concern, within the Beech Hill Pond watershed area.
Watershed Survey and Project Plan
We must raise local funds to move forward.
Please donate, in any amount, to continue this important work to maintain and improve Beech Hill’s water quality.
Funds will be used for:
*Development of the Watershed Management Plan (2023)
*Grant applications (2023/2024)
*Matching funds for watershed improvement projects. (2024)
Beech Hill Pond is part of a Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Source Priority Watershed and is on the Threatened Lakes Priority List. Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) is polluted runoff, with soil sediment being the number one pollutant in our waters. Lakes are very sensitive to pollution, and once a lake’s health has declined, it can be extremely difficult to restore.
Then and Now - Our Story
Previous Watershed Project:
The last watershed survey of Beech Hill Pond was done over 10 years ago and led to the remediation of over 30 sites causing significant runoff into the lake. The funding for this was provided by a grant from the Maine DEP with matching funds and in-kind volunteered time and material from the lake community.
Current Watershed Project:
In the fall of 2021, a small team of volunteers began the groundwork for conducting a new watershed survey for Beech Hill Pond. A three-phase plan was created.
Phase One - The Survey - Completed
In June 2022 with the help of some 30 volunteers from the lake community, the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District (HCSWCD), Maine DEP, and technical consultants completed a survey of the Beech Hill Pond Watershed area. The survey identified 116 pollution sites, rated by the technical consultants on an impact scale of 1-10. Of those sites, 22 were rated as high impact to the lake, 59 as medium impact, and 35 as low impact sites. Funding for the mailings and technical support for the survey came from grants, the Town of Otis, and the Beech Hill Pond Lake Association.
Phase Two - The Watershed Management Plan - Current
In order to remediate and improve these pollution sites, the next step is to create a Watershed Management Plan. Having a plan will allow us to apply for Maine DEP 319 grants, providing matching funds for the remediation of identified project sites.
The Plan will organize the data from the survey in a meaningful way and provide the groundwork for the grant applications. The estimated cost of these processes is between $10,000-$12,000. While some initial grant funding has been secured, the major portion of the funding for the plan must come from the lake community. A development committee is up and running and we need your help! We need to get the Plan done early this year to apply for Maine DEP grant money for use in 2024.
Phase Three - The Work Begins - 2024
Once all of the sites have been identified (Phase 1), prioritized and the plan forward mapped out (Phase 2), the real work begins. Donation dollars collected throughout the campaign will also be focused on providing pathways toward completing remediation projects that will maintain and sustain the health of our lake and living local community.
WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW TO PREPARE A WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN TO APPLY FOR A MAINE DEP GRANT TO FIX HIGH PRIORITY RUNOFF SITES
Visit our GoFundMe page to contribute TODAY!
You can also donate by check. Visit our Membership Page for details.
Beech Hill Pond Lake Association will be the recipient of all donations. Funds will then be distributed from the Lake Association to the project-based entities.