2016 Fall Newsletter - Friends of Wilson Lake

FOWL

Friends of Wilson Lake

Volume 9, Issue 3 2016

Inside this Issue:

FROM YOUR PRESIDENT ROB LIVELY FOWL has been very busy since our last newsletter. We had our Annual Meeting in July, we sponsored free boat rides and a loon information table at the Blueberry Festival, and we conducted our watershed survey on September 24, the first since 1994. We restructured our Courtesy Boat Inspection program with support from local businesses, more properties were designated LakeSmart, plus we started a new program, LoonSmart, and our own Mary Ryan received a wonderful 30-year award at the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring conference this summer. Congratulations Mary!

There were a total of 43 volunteers involved in the watershed survey of Wilson Lake, Pease Pond, and Varnum Pond. Volunteers included students from Spruce Mtn. High School, UMF, technical leaders from across the state, and members of FOWL. Under the direction of Project Director Jennifer Jespersen of Ecological Instincts, we fanned out in nine teams across the three watersheds in Wilton, Jay and Temple.The teams returned with data that will inform the next steps -- gaining a better understanding of the extent of soil erosion and other sources of pollution that could be affecting the water quality of the lake and ponds, prioritizing these findings to help develop a plan of action, and seeking grants to address high priority problems. A public presentation of the survey results will take place in early December. More information will follow.

Wilson Lake continues to lose its volume because of the drought. I can walk to the island that sits in front of our place; an area that normally would have three feet of water in it. Let’s hope for rain and snow.Thanks again for all that you do for Wilson Lake, its watershed, and FOWL.

Busines Sponsorship

2

BBF Boat Rides

4

Annual Meeting

5

LakeSmart Homes

6

Mary Ryan

8

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Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Contact: Wynn Muller wynnmuller@comcast.net

Visit our Website: www.friendsofwilsonlake.org

E X C AVAT I N G C O N T R AC TO R S

Crushed Stone • Stone Gravel • Loam Commercial & Residential

563 Town Farm Road, Farmington • 778-4875

FOWL

Page 2 Business Sponsorship Of The CBI Program A Success The Friends of Wilson Lake (FOWL) introduced a new program to involve the business community in the Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) program. It was mentioned in the Fall 2015 issue of this newsletter and again in April. We had a great response from the local business community. Over the summer we raised over $3000 to offset the cost of this valuable program. We had business sponsors for 12 of the 15 weeks and monies contributed during the Blueberry Festival paid for another. These businesses included KeyBank, Howie’s Welding, Franklin Printing, Expenet, Otis Federal Credit Union, Bass-Wilson Building, Franklin Savings Bank, Franklin Chrysler, Walmart and Patriot Renewables. Please thank these businesses as you use their services.

FOWL has been inspecting boats entering and leaving Wilson Lake since 2003. Students are hired to conduct these inspections and the town of Wilton handles the payroll with all costs fully subsidized by FOWL. The costs have been immense averaging well in excess of $5000 per year. Some of these expenses are offset by grants secured by FOWL and provided by the state but much of this expense is from donations by members of the organization. In addition FOWL members provide about 150 volunteer hours in support of the CBI effort.

This summer was really great for boating until the final few weeks when the water level fell to low levels making it difficult to remove boats at the landing. Over the summer our students inspected 783 boats – 60 more than last year. They only found one plant on a boat, but did come across three others – one on the dock, one on a parked boat trailer and one floating near the dock. All were evaluated and proved to be native and non-invasive. Over two thirds of the boaters cited Wilson Lake as the last lake they had last visited suggesting that we have a local group of boaters – a group that can well appreciate our local businesses.

To maintain these inspections at the same level, FOWL asked our business partners to assist with this effort. For a modest cost of $250 a business can sponsor a weekend of boat monitoring, receive recognition in the kiosk at the boat launch, secure an ad in the FOWL newsletters published three times a year and know that they are helping to keep invasive plants out of our pristine lake. Interested partners can contact Wynn Muller at wynnmuller@comcast.net.

Cont. on Pg. 2

Bass-Wilson display in Kiosk taken by Sandy Muller

FOWL

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Cont. from Pg. 2 Why do we inspect boats? According to the Lake Environmental Association, much of Maine’s economy is based upon recreation and tourism: Maine’s lakes bring in $2.3 billion dollars annuallly into Maine’s economy. The visitors to those lakes spend a total of $3.5 billion in Maine each year, $1.8 billion which goes directly to the income of Maine residents at 50,000 jobs statewide. The dense growth and rapid spread of milfoil and other invasive plants along lakeshores dramatically impedes swimming and fishing. As the quality of our waterways declines, people are less likely to visit them. Additionally, a 2001 Maine DEP report states that if Maine suffers infestations even a ‘fraction’ as severe as of those experienced elsewhere, lakefront property owners can expect average property devaluation in excess of $12,000.

This impacts the tax cost to all non-lake residents as well.

Invasive plants are transported from lake to lake in many ways, but the most frequent and the one we can most control are from boats. Plant fragments become attached to boats, boat trailers, and other aspects of boating and are dislodged in the new lake where they begin a new life. Once in a lake, they are most difficult and expensive to eradicate. Fortunately, in Maine we only have about 30 lakes currently infested but that number is growing each year in spite of our significant efforts.

In 2001 legislation was passed making it finable to have any plant attached to a boat out of water.

Violations can result in fines of $500 up to $2500 for subsequent offences.

FOWL has been inspecting boats for 12 years now and over that time have inspected over 7000 boats at a total cost well exceeding $40,000.

Over that time we have had 39 different students monitoring boats with many of them repeating up to 4 years. Our cookbook, Favorites of Wilson Lake, published in 2008 was dedicated to the Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) program and we sold over 1000 copies to help support the program over the years. The town has also been a strong supporter of the program helping to sell the cookbooks and providing administrative assistance.

Statewide over 87,000 boats were inspected in 2015 by 702 monitors representing nearly 100 organizations including some BASS clubs that also promote self inspection of all boats entering and leaving lakes.

The statewide monitoring grants are supported by the milfoil sticker that is a part of all boat registrations in the state and with a surcharge to out of state boaters.

Since 2002 over 15 million dollars has been raised through the sticker fee program. About half of these monies are used to prevent the spread of milfoil while the remainder is used in an attempt to eradicate existing infestations. It is the hope that in the future all boaters will learn to inspect their own boats. Until that time, posting inspectors at boat launchers is the most effective way to avoid the threat of spreading of invasive plants and continue to educate boaters as to the importance of inspecting their boats and removing any debris.

One might ask, if we were spending half of our resources in eradicating existing infestations, why not wait for the plants to come and then work to eradicate them. The reason is that eradication is at best extremely expensive and with very mixed results.

Many creative methods have been explored to remove existing infestations: deep draw downs of the water level; use of weevils who consume these plants; use of herbicides; commercial harvesters; benthic blankets covering the lake bottom; harvesting by hand by scuba divers. Most have more disadvantages than advantages. For example, commercial harvesters must be used repeatedly and they create particles of the plant that exacerbates the spread of the invasive plants. Use of divers accomplished the same particle spread until they discovered that a boat with a vacuum could accompany the diver and the diver would insert all plants removed into the vacuum tube to be suctioned to the surface – a very costly process.

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FOWL

Donations From Boat Rides At Blueberry Festival Support Missing Week Of CBI We had such a successful response from the over 300 riders of our free boat rides that we received over $400 in donations. We are using these monies to sponsor the twelfth week of boat monitoring with the balance to provide food for the workers at the watershed survey on September 24th. We had riders coming from New York, Ohio, Connecticut, New Jersey, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Maryland as well as many local people. Event Chair Sandy Muller said, “We had some people from Wilton and Jay who had never ridden on a boat before and had never been on Wilson Lake. That is a most rewarding experience.�

Lake residents donated the 7 boats and their time. Boats were provided by Judy Landry, Dennis Taylor, Norm St. Pierre, Robin Roberts, Wynn Muller, John Wentzell and Rick Collins. In addition, Sandy Muller, Dennis Landry, Sue Lessoff, Ernie Gagnon, Nancy Rounds, Lyn Jellison, Rhonda Irish and CBI monitors Jamie Schanck and Jordan Daigle assisted them at the shore. Meanwhile, other FOWL members Nancy Prince, Rob Lively, Richard Rames and Holly Windle were assisting representatives of Biodiversity Research Institute with the Loon Awareness Booth simultaneously occurring at the boat launch. FOWL membership is open to all who have an interest in protecting the pristine quality of the water of Wilson Lake. Please check our kiosk at the boat launch for pictures and membership information. You can also contact wynnmuller@comcast.net.

Jamie Schanck inspecting boat taken by Holly Windle

Blueberry Festival Boat Rides taken by Ernie Gagnon

Boat Rides at BB Fest taken by Ernie Gagnon

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FOWL Friends Of Wilson Lake Hold Annual Meeting Over 50 Friends of Wilson Lake gathered on July 24 at Kineowatha Park for the annual meeting of the organization. President Rob Lively welcomed everyone and thanked all for doing their part to keep the lake pristine. State Rep. Russell Black talked about the Land Conservancy and their “best management practices” and how important this was to the lake.

Judy Landry gave the annual Audubon loon count as five adult loons and one chick. This represents the first chick on Wilson Lake since 2011. Judy stressed the need to give the chick sufficient room to grow and asked viewers to do so from a distance with binoculars. The group recognized Mary Ryan for 30 years of taking Secchi Disc measurements on the lake that tests for water clarity. Mary will also be recognized at a program by VLMP (Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program) in Turner on July 30. Sue Atwood was also recognized for her many years as secretary of FOWL.

Then Jen Jesperson was introduced as the project director of the Watershed Survey that FOWL is conducting along with the town covering Wilson Lake, Varnum Pond and Pease Pond Watersheds. Over the past 10 years, the water clarity of Wilson Lake has experienced a decline. This may be from soil erosion, changes in climate or other reasons. The survey will identify those sources where pollution is observed and arrive at prioritized objectives for correcting them. The survey will take place on Sept. 24. Interested parties should contact us at: friendsofwilsonlake@gmail.com. For a copy of Mrs. Jesperson’s complete presentation go to: http://www.friendsofwilsonlake.org/watershed/ Jen Jespersen

The following officers were elected for 2016-17: Rob Lively, President; Wynn Muller, Vice President; Holly Windle, Secretary; Chuck Ellis, Treasurer; Members of the Board were: Judy Landry, Martha Lively, Justy Nazar, Sharon Rainey, Mary Ryan, Peter Chamberlain and Barry Hathaway. The following reports were presented: Sandy Muller mentioned that we have Jen Jespersen at Annual Meeting taken by Sue Atwood lined up 7 boats to provide free boat rides on Friday, Aug. 5 at the Blueberry Festival. The loon awareness booth will also be present at the boat landing from 1 to 4 p.m. Justy Nazar mentioned that our Courtesy Boat Inspection program has inspected over 250 boats to date. This year we have received financial support from 10 businesses to sponsor the costs of this program. Wynn Muller mentioned that properties Celebrating over 100 years of excellence! that are or become recognized as LakeSmart can also qualify for a new recognition as LoonSmart. Many of the currently LakeSmart homes are being reviewed for this additional recognition. Over one third of the lake homes are current LakeSmart with a goal of reaching 50 percent by 2020.

437 Wilton Road Farmington, ME 04938

207-778-3354

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FOWL

Friends Of Wilson Lake Announce Four New Lakesmart Homes The slogan for LakeSmart is “Living lightly on the land, for the sake of the lake.” What you do on the land does affect the quality of the water of a lake. That is why FOWL and Wilton completed the survey of the Wilson Lake, Varnum Pond and Pease Pond watersheds.

We were seeking evidences of erosion that can carry pollution into the lakes and ponds. The LakeSmart program is designed to evaluate the manner in which landowners are maintaining their property in a manner that might be friendly to the lakes. Those who meet the stringent guidelines are recognized as LakeSmart and given a sign to display that looks like this.

these recommendations on their own. They are strictly voluntary and in no way required. There are currently 31 homes around the lake that are so designated and that number is growing. This past summer 4 new properties were recognized as LakeSmart. They are the home of Bob and Wendy Ballsrud; that of Greg and Ann Nemi; property owned by Steve and Betty Harris and the residence of Lori and Everett O’Neill. Congratulations to you all. You will notice on the above LakeSmart sign the presence of a Loon in the upper right hand corner just below the word “Award”. Maine Audubon recognizing the significant impact that water clarity has on loon habitat has joined the LakeSmart program with its complementary program called LoonSmart. LakeSmart homes meeting certain additional requirements qualify for the LoonSmart designation as well. This past summer we welcomed 13 homes as the initial batch of LoonSmart homes.

They belong to Ed & Karen Gordon, Wynn & Sandy Muller, Dennis & Linda Taylor, Steven MacDonald, Robin & Deb Roberts, Peter & Becky Robichaud, Nancy Prince, Steve & Betty Harris and the condominium home of Rob & Martha Lively, Chester Hartman& Amy Fine, Ann Pike and Susan & Jack Slosky in addition to those four listed above as new LakeSmart. Many of these properties were recertified as LakeSmart as well, since the properties had changed ownership since the initial recognition.

You might have seen them around Wilson Lake. To qualify, an evaluation by a qualified individual is scheduled. There is no cost to the homeowner. The evaluation considers the following areas: Driveway and Parking Area; Structure and Septic System; Recreation Area and Footpaths & Shorefront and Beach Area. If one passes all four areas they are deemed LakeSmart. If not, they are provided with recommendations as to what could be done to make the property more lake friendly.

The property owners can choose to undertake

The LakeSmart program was developed by Maine DEP about 2001 but in 2012 was moved to the Maine Lakes Society, a non-profit entity with a mission of protecting the 6000 lakes of Maine. The program has experienced significant success in the past 5 years; it is recognized that a successful certification program must maintain high standards with re-certification required upon transfer of ownership and after a set period of time. Some of these standards are still being developed as the program grows and learns more from our many participants.

Cont. on Pg. 7

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Cont. from Pg. 6 FOWL is proud to have been one of the first two lakes recognized as “Gold LakeSmart� by merit of having over 15% of the homes around the lake recognized as LakeSmart. We currently have 36% of our homes so designated and have set a goal to reach 50% by 2020. However, the bigger picture is not the number of designations awarded, but that residents are taking notice of how they manage their property and are constantly considering what impact certain actions might have on our beautiful and highly valued lakes. Next summer we plan a series of walks, boat rides and discussions to explain why how we live affects our lake. If you would like more information please contact Wynn Muller at wynnmuller@comcast.net. You are also encouraged to go to the FOWL website: friendsofwilsonlake.org or the Maine Lakes Society website at: mainelakessociety.org.

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Page 8

FOWL

MARY RYAN HONORED FOR SERVICE This summer at the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring conference our Mary Ryan was recognized for her 30 years of taking bi-weekly Secchi disk readings on our lake. These readings test for the clarity of the lake and serve as a base against which all other testing is measured. The testing is really simple in design but requires awareness of the lake and diligence to the atmospheric conditions. Too much sun or too high a wind can result in faulty results. The Secchi disk is lowered into the lake at the same location and nearly the same time for each reading. The disk is followed by observation through a scope to minimize surface glare. When the disk can no longer be seen, it is then pulled upward gradually until it reappears. That level is recorded as the depth for the reading. Below is what a Secchi disk looks like.

These readings had been at the 18-foot level with a slight increase through 2007. Over the past ten years we have seen a reduction in these clarity readings, dropping to below the 14-foot level over the past three years. Generally, a 3-foot decline in water quality can result in a 10% decline in property values. This occasioned our watershed survey taken in September of 2016. Look elsewhere in this publication for information on the watershed survey. A public presentation is scheduled for early December at the Academy Hill School. Look in the papers for more information.

Mary Ryan with FOWL President Rob Lively taken by Sandy Muller

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Request Electronic Newsletter Today Email: h.s.atwood@gmail.com

WATERSHED PRESENTATION Results of the 2016 Wilson Lake, Varnum Pond & Pease Pond Watershed Survey Join the Friends of Wilson Lake for an informative presentation about the state of our local watersheds. The presentation will include an overview of the 2016 watershed survey, including the location and impact of documented pollutants that are impacting the quality of our valuable freshwater resources.

WHEN:

December 7, 2016 6:30 – 7:30 pm WHERE:

Academy Hill School 585 Depot Street, Wilton, Maine For more information, contact Rob Lively, President of the Friends of Wilson Lake (207) 645-2982 or by email: lively@maine.edu.

This survey was made possible in part by the Friends of Wilson Lake, through generous contributions of its members, by the Town of Wilton, and through a generous grant from the Maine Drinking Water Program through the 2016 Source Water Protection Grant Program. In-kind contributions were made possible by the many volunteers that participated in the survey including FOWL members, the Spruce Mountain High School Envirothon Team and the University of Maine at Farmington Limnology class. Meeting space was generously provided by the Wilson Lake Inn and the Academy Hill School. Friends of Wilson Lake, the towns of Wilton and Temple, University of Maine at Farmington, Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Project management was provided by Ecological Instincts.

Photo credits: Susan Atwood (top) and Ecological Instincts (bottom).