Dexter Lakes Watershed Project

Purpose:

The purpose of the Dexter Lakes Watershed Project is to protect and improve the water quality of Lake Wassookeag and Puffer’s Pond. This project will help the Dexter Lakes community build on the momentum gained during the NPS survey process, by addressing the problems identified. The project will help stabilize the water quality of the lake by reducing external total phosphorous loading by reducing soil erosion and polluted runoff through the installation of water quality best management practices (BMPs) on approximately 20 sites in the watershed. Pollutant load reduction calculations at each site will provide short-term data, while the VLMP monitoring data will measure the effectiveness of this project beyond its two-year duration. Outreach to towns and watershed residents will be conducted to promote continuation of watershed restoration actions.

Problem/Need:

Lake Wassookeag and Puffers Pond are exceptional waters lending to their great importance to the Dexter area. Lake Wassookeag is listed on the state’s NPS Priority Watersheds list due to being a public water supply. Aside from this usage both Puffers and Wassookeag are rich coldwater fisheries bringing valuable dollars into the community. The watershed also consists of many freshwater wetlands, grasslands and upland forests that have all been identified as important wildlife areas. Furthermore, the Dexter Lakes are part of the larger Sebasticook River Watershed, documented by the Maine Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife to have many "rare and endangered species including Bald Eagle, Black Tern, Least Bittern, Common Moorhen, Ribbon Snake, Wood Turtle, Tidewater Mucket, Yellow Lampmussel, Tomah Mayfly, and Warpaint Emerald among others.” Without preserving the exceptional water quality found in Lake Wassookeag there stands the chance of losing these rare and endangered species, along with excellent fish habitat.

MDEP and the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program have collaborated in the collection of data to evaluate present water quality, track algal blooms, and determine water quality trends. Water quality monitoring data for Wassookeag Lake has been collected since 1975. In summary, the water quality is considered to be above average, based on measures of secchi disk transparencies, total phosphorous, and chlorophyll-a. It has been determined that the potential for nuisance algae blooms on Wassookeag Lake is low. Moreover, recent dissolved oxygen profiles show little depletion in deep areas of the lake. However, with the increasing amount of human pressure put on lakes in Maine, water quality could easily face a decline with increased amounts of impervious areas, exposed soil, vegetative buffer removal, housing developments, and other nonpoint pollution sources. Once water quality starts to decline it becomes much more difficult to regain the exceptional water quality observed in Lake Wassookeag.

The threat of NPS pollution is great in the watersheds due to the rolling hills, agriculture and urban environment that dominate the area. Due to increasing awareness among community members and a proactive lake association, the community has realized they cannot sit by the wayside and let their waters deteriorate further. With the help of the District, The Town of Dexter and it’s residents as well as the Dexter Lakes Association a NPS Pollution Watershed Survey was completed in the summer of 2005 under EPA 319 grant funding.

The resulting survey documented 68 NPS sites within the direct watersheds of Lake Wassookeag and Puffer’s Pond. The sites identified in the survey were categorized by land use and ranked by impact and technical level and cost to implement the recommendations. 43% of the sites identified in the survey were identified as private/camp roads, and 22% of the sites were identified as town roads.

Home Contact Us Search Non-Discrimination Statement