SKOWHEGAN - Somerset County Soil & Water Conservation District (Somerset SWCD) is contributing to a collaborative project of North Pond Association, Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District (KCSWCD) and 7 Lakes Alliance to develop a Watershed-Based Management Plan (WBMP) for North Pond.

The project is funded by a 604(b) planning grant from Maine DEP . Work began earlier this year and is expected to end in December 2023. The project’s seven primary tasks include:

1) Water quality monitoring and in-lake assessment led by 7 Lakes Alliance, sediment analysis by Colby College, and an updated bathymetric map led by NPA;

2) A Water quality analysis led by 7 Lakes Alliance that will examine trends in the short (5-10 years)- and long-term data (50 years).

3) Watershed assessments including a septic vulnerability analysis and septic survey led by 7 Lakes and Colby, and a field survey with Somerset SWCD to assess current impacts from developed and agricultural land;

4) Watershed modeling and internal loading analysis led by project consultants including a land-cover update and a review of available data to quantify internal recycling of phosphorus from bottom sediments and for making recommendations for restoring the water quality in North Pond;

5) A Municipal ordinance review led by the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) in cooperation with the towns of Rome, Smithfield and Mercer to help review existing ordinances, prepare a report of the findings, and meet with town officials to present the results.

6) Stakeholder Engagement & Public Outreach includes development of a Steering Committee and Technical Advisory Committee to guide the planning process, as well as a public meeting and various other types of outreach throughout the project period.

7) A Watershed-Based Management Plan will be developed outlining actions needed to restore water quality in North Pond over a 10-year planning period. The plan will include a detailed action plan with associated costs and a timeline for each action. The plan is a requirement for applying for federal grants to restore water quality for impaired lakes in Maine.