Morgan’s Beach Gets LakeSmart(er)
Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
A chilly rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of volunteers and Town of Enfield Public Works employees who assembled at Morgan’s Beach to dig holes, plant shrubs and flowers, and spread mulch. Work began at 9:00 am. By noon, the sun was shining, all the plants were in the ground, and the group was toasting their work with fresh apple cider from nearby Robinson’s Orchard.
The work day was the latest stage of a plan which began to take shape in 2016 when the Cold Stream Camp Owners’ Association (CSCOA) applied for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant money to fund projects designed to prevent eroded soil from washing into Cold Stream Pond. One of the most successful projects was the replacement of undersized culverts at Morgan’s Beach with a timber mat bridge. The installation of the bridge in 2018 has been effective at reducing large inflows of phosphorous-laden soil into the lake.
Subsequently, CSCOA volunteers Jim and Laurie Fenwood met with former Town Manager Teresa Thurlow to discuss additional ways that the popular site could be managed to keep soil, the biggest threat to water quality, out of the lake. In 2019, the CSCOA funded the installation of “French drains”, rock-lined trenches, to catch and filter polluted run-off from the parking area.
In 2023, Morgan’s Beach was evaluated using the principles of LakeSmart, a volunteer program developed and administered by Maine Lakes. A key LakeSmart principle is that multi-layered vegetated buffers along streams and lakes are very good at filtering run-off before it reaches the water. A proposal was developed to improve buffers along the stream that flows through the Morgan’s Beach grounds and to stabilize the banks of the stream where it enters the lake.
Under the leadership of current Town Manager, Gina Batchelder, the most severely eroded section of streambank was rip-rapped with rocks and native vegetation has been allowed to become established there. This summer, Batchelder requested that the CSCOA prepare an updated assessment and proposal for additional work at the site. The CSCOA OKed the expenditure of up to $5,500 to implement the plan, and the Enfield Select Board approved it.
Implementing the plan began with Town personnel outlining an enlarged stream buffer area by placing large rocks, some of which were donated by Blaine King Construction. The crew also installed a bed of small rocks and fill (a technique known as a “rock sandwich”) to allow work vehicles to cross a rutted low wet spot. This reduces ruts and run-off as well as making the access safer. Next, the area delineated by the large rocks was designated as a “no mow” zone which will allow native vegetation to reestablish itself and stabilize the stream banks. Signs placed around the zone will help beach users better understand the changes at the site.
The most recent step was Wednesday morning’s work of planting native vegetation inside the no-mow zone to speed-up establishment of an expanded buffer. Enfield employees Darin Wallace and Andrew Thompson used a power post-hole-digger to make short work of preparing spots for planting shrubs such as blueberry, shrub honeysuckle, shadbush, flowering raspberry and spirea. They planted blue flag iris in damp areas. Black-eyed Susans, asters, coneflowers, and day lilies were added to protect the soil and add color to the expanded buffer area. Volunteers included Tim Folster, Karen Genest, Ellen Simone, Jim Fenwood, and Benson Gray (who drove over two hours to be there). Laurie Fenwood kept the hard-working crew busy and made sure that there was plenty of apple cider and donuts to keep them going.
An additional unrelated but important effort to protect water quality at Morgan’s Beach is the replacement of the area’s septic system, a priority for the Town. Clearing of trees at the site of the new septic field is underway now.
The mission of the Cold Stream Camp Owners’ Association is “Protecting and Improving the Water Quality of Cold Stream Pond” and work at Morgan’s Beach will continue to be a priority for the association. The CSCOA will also will continue to make matching grant funds for watershed protection projects available to camp owners and road associations around the lake. Generous donations from members and cooperative efforts with the towns of Enfield, Lincoln, and Lowell make this possible and help ensure that Cold Stream Pond will remain one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in Maine.