Watershed Management Plan Auburn City Building 5/22/2014 The - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Watershed Management Plan Auburn City Building 5/22/2014

The phosphorus in the Lake originated in the watershed Our goals are to reduce the amount of phosphorus being generated and released Proper watershed management will be the key to restoring the long term water quality of Lake Auburn

The Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission (LAWPC) consists of appointees representing Auburn, Lewiston, Turner, Minot, Buckfield, and Hebron watershed residents; by mutual agreement between Lewiston and Auburn’s Water Districts. It is the responsibility of the LAWPC to protect the water quality of Lake Auburn .

Lake Auburn Watershed - 11,911 Acres (18.6 sq. Mi.) LAWPC owns 1,320 acres of the watershed (14%) 655 Acres protected through conservation easements

In 2010 the Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission (LAWPC) hired Comprehensive Environmental Inc. (CEI) to prepare an update to the 1987 Lake Auburn Watershed Management Plan

Lake Auburn Watershed Management Plan In 2010 phosphorus input was relatively low; recommendations included continued conservation practices, education, monitoring, etc. Given their experience in the watershed, CEI was hired in 2012 to conduct an in-depth watershed analysis and provide recommendations.

The report resulted in two types of Recommendations:  Structural  Non-Structural

Structural Improvements 74 BMP Projects were identified Each one was given a priority rank: High – to be done within the first two years Medium - to be done within 5 years Low – to be done within 10 years The report estimated it will cost approximately $3.5 M over 10 years to complete all structural improvements

Priority Areas were located at or around: 1. North Auburn Dam 2. Townsend Brook 3. Spring Road 4. Rt. 4 5. The Basin/Holbrook Road 6. Lake Shore Drive

Rt. 4 Culvert Project LAWPC partnered with MDOT LAWPC provided rip-rap, construction fabric, mulch MDOT provided labor, equipment LAWPC Cost = $2,600.00 MDOT Cost = $11,800.00 Total Project Cost = $14,400.00

North Auburn Road Culvert LAWPC partnered with APW LAWPC provided pipe APW provided labor, equipment LAWPC Cost = $11,800.00

Site 11 Before $10,000 grant from Maine Drinking Water Program Another $20,000 from LAWPC After Work done by LWD/AWD

Partnered with Auburn Engineering as part of Road Reconstruction LAWPC Providing Pipe City installing

Holbrook Road Culvert Replacement

Project Assistance LAWPC contracted with Sue Gammon from the USDA to help coordinate, design, and prioritize Erosion Control Projects throughout the watershed, and help secure construction grants US EPA CWA Section 319 Grant 60% Federal Match, 40% Local Apply in July 2014 for funds to be used in 2015

Partnerships with Regulators Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Maine Forest Service Army Corps of Engineers Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Goals for 2014 Complete Erosion Control Projects on: • Spring Road • Lake Shore Drive • North Auburn Dam

Emergency Spillway

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) International curricula training teachers to teach about water issues. Each state in the US has a WET Host Institution and Coordinator; LAWPC is Maine’s.

FishKids- Raising Brook trout in classroom aquaria. Partner with IF&W for permits and fish, student study water quality while raising iconic Maine species- then release into nearby waters (Towns Bk). Also assist with Auburn schools raising Atlantic salmon.

Septic System Education

Lakeauburnwater.org

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

Amend Regulations including: Promote the Use of Low Impact Development (LID) Techniques for Development and Redevelopment Amend Zoning Ordinance to Strengthen Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Requirements Update Phosphorus Control Amend Ordinance to Prohibit Certain Land Uses Within the Lake Auburn Watershed Overlay District Add a Steep Slope Ordinance to Prohibit Certain Activities on Steep Slopes

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

Forestry Professionally managed since the early 1960’s to enhance water quality Selective thinning of trees to encourage a mixed age growth of softwoods LAWPC will work with the Lewiston Auburn Community Forest Board for land use planning and management

Conservation Easements LAWPC has 7 conservation easements on watershed properties that are monitored annually by the Androscoggin Land Trust.

Lake Patrols For the past 2 years, LAWPC has hired the Auburn Police Department to perform Watershed Patrols throughout the summer to monitor activities around the Lake.

In-Lake Monitoring

Watershed Phosphorus Sampling In addition to in- house watershed phosphorus sampling, the Commission hired CES to do a phosphorus survey of the Townsend Brook Watershed

Bassmasters and PepsiCo Clean-up 1400 Lbs of trash collected May 2014

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

• LAWPC owns 1320 Acres 14% of watershed • 655 Acres protected through Conservation Easements • 80% of Shoreline

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

Invasive Species Management

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

Gull Management – through USDA Agreement

Non-Structural Improvements Recommended nonstructural controls include:  Development of public education programs  Establishing protective watershed regulations  Maintenance of watershed lands  Key parcel land acquisition  Invasive species control  Gull management  Watershed monitoring.

Conduct Site Inspections on Properties in the watershed Work with Developers, Auburn Planning/Code Enforcement, and Homeowners to correct problems identified in the field

Questions?