WATER QUALITY SUMMARY

East Pond, Oakland and Smithfield

MIDAS: 5349, Sample Station # 1

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Maine DEP) and the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) in cooperation with the East Pond Association have collaborated in the collection of lake data to evaluate water quality, track algal blooms, and determine historical water quality trends. This dataset does not include bacteria, mercury, or nutrients other than total phosphorus.

Water quality monitoring datasets for East Pond have been collected since 1975. During this period, 16 years of basic chemical information was collected in addition to 36 years of Secchi Disk Transparency (SDT) measures. In summary, the water quality of East Pond is considered below average to poor based on historical measures of SDT, total phosphorus (TP), and chlorophyll-a (Chla). The potential for nuisance summertime algal blooms in East Pond is high.

Water Quality Measures: East Pond is a non-colored lake (average color 15 SPU) with an average SDT of 4.2 meters (13.8 feet). The range of upper water column TP for East Pond is 11 - 29 parts per billion (ppb) with an average of 19 ppb. Chla ranges from 0.4 – 79.0 ppb with an average of 10.4 ppb. Recent dissolved oxygen (DO) profiles show minimal DO depletion in deep areas of the lake, however East Pond is relatively shallow and stratifies intermittently. During stratified periods DO levels are depleted and phosphorus is released. The potential for phosphorus to leave the bottom sediments and become available to algae in the water column (internal recycling) is high, due in part to the effects of wind disturbance.

Comments: East Pond is at the top of the Belgrade lakes drainage system and flows directly into North Pond via the Serpentine Stream outlet dam. It is on the DEP list of lakes most at risk from developmental pressures and is being intensively studied by Colby College. Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance (BRCA) conducted an East Pond watershed survey in 1999 and is developing management plans for the Great Pond watershed, including East Pond. Currently, there is a pilot lake (food web) biomanipulation project being carried out on East Pond in a cooperative effort between Maine DEP, University of Maine (Orono), and the East Pond Association.

Nutrient Management: An East Pond Total Maximum Daily (Annual Phosphorus) Load (TMDL) report was prepared by Maine DEP during 1999-01, with assistance from the Maine Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) project team. Following East Pond stakeholder and public reviews, this document was approved by US-EPA (New England) on October 9, 2001. This final report, with the EPA-New England review summary/approval letter, can be found on the Maine DEP webpage: http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/monitoring/tmdl/tmdl2.html

See the Maine DEP Explanation of Lake Water Quality Monitoring Report for measured variable explanations. Additional lake information can be obtained by contacting Maine DEP at 207-287-3901 or VLMP at 207-783-7733, and at these Websites: http://www.lakesofmaine.org and http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/lakes/index.html and http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org .

Filename: 5349east, revised: 03/2005, by dbh. Updated: 09/2011, by lal.