Saturday, September 9, 2022 and if feels like July.

Thank you all for attending the meeting on Wednesday night, and thank you to the folks who sent messages saying that they were unable to attend but requested a report.

The meeting of the members of the Newport Selectboard reviewed the request of an individual to allow the selectmen/women to make the decision as to the date of annual lake draw down.

Point of interest, the members of the Selectboard delegated the responsibility for the decision making of the date on which to open the dam gate to the Water Regulation Committee many years ago, as was the responsibility for monitoring the lake water quality.

The Water Regulation Committee consists of Newport residents who are town employees and residents, some of whom are lake property owners.

The water quality monitoring consists of bi-weekly measurements of water clarity – how far down can a black and white object called a Secchi Disc can be seen using an instrument similar to a snorkel mask – and dissolved oxygen levels in the water – measured every meter, typically in the deepest section of the lake, but in more shallow areas as necessary.

The farther down in the water (deep) the Secchi Disc can be seen, the more clear the water is.

The lake quality monitoring is conducted by Newport residents who have volunteered to complete state-provided and state-regulated training to accurately collect the required data.

Additionally, Maine DEP biologists, limnologists, hydrologists visit the lake to sample levels of Phosphorus – an element that feeds plants, like the grasses and weeds you see in the lake,

as well as algae. Zooplankton and phytoplankton counts are monitored, fish counts are conducted, and different species of aquatic wildlife are studied.

In the event of a breach in a manure lagoon or a chemical spill, other elements like Nitrogen, Manganese, Lead, sometimes and bacteria would be tested for.

The present lake monitoring system follows the Sebasticook Lake

Watershed Management Plan that was drafted by DEP after a 2 year study conducted over 20 years ago. That study indicated that an annual draw down of lake water – lowering the water levels – would remove significant amounts of Phosphorus that contributes to poor water quality i.e. Green Water.

In April 2022, the town of Newport applied for and received a grant to conduct a new watershed study, in the event that new data from Sebasticook Lake, new water quality management systems available, and new science MAY provide a better plan that will improve the quality of the lake water even more than it has already improved by following the present watershed management plan for the last 20 years.

While the new watershed study study has a completion date of 2024, there is valuable data being collected every day, and soon, you will be asked to help by providing information about your property, i.e. the slope of your lot, the percentage of canopy, the shore front footage, the plants you see at the end of your dock, the kinds of fish you catch, the number of species of birds you see, etc.

Your contribution will be HUGE.

Until there is new guidance to follow – and who knows, the results of the new study may abbreviate the draw down, or eliminate it, or recommend a 3 day draw down every month – the present water quality plan is what we have to go by, and includes not removing trees/ground cover (including duff – the detritus from trees/bushes) down to the water, not using fertilizer with Phosphorus in it, assuring your septic system is functioning correctly, planting buffers (low bushes with deep root systems are fabulous), and being kind to the environment.

I am grateful to the members of the Selectboard for their decision to uphold the Water Regulation Committee’s recommended date of the draw down – the date of which was based on the last 4 months of water quality testing data – until updated science is available to support a change in this practice – going forward, the members of the Selectboard and the Water Regulation Committee will work more closely to share real-time information for knowledgeable decision making.

And as always, I am humbled by and indebted to the members of the lake association who are committed to actions that protect and benefit Sebasticook Lake.