Water Quality Management Plan For The Southern Kennebec Valley And Final Environmental Impact Statement


WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN
SOUTHERN
for the
KENNEBEC VALLEY
and

FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMFftCT STATEMENT



Southern Kennebec Valley Regional Planning Commission
Region I
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
December 1977

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Cover Photo: courtesy of the central photo Lab, State House,
Augusta, Maine 04333

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PREFACE
The Water Quality Management Plan for the Southern
Kennebec valley and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
is a joint product of the cooperative efforts of the
Southern Kennebec valley Regional Planning Commission
(Augusta, Maine), the Cobbossee Watershed District
(Winthrop, Maine) and the United States Environmental pro-
tection Agency (EPA) Region I (Boston). It is the final
report of a two year areawide water quality management
planning process funded by the EPA as a result of the
1972 Federal water Quality Act Amendments, Section 208.
This document is divided into two parts. In part
one a description of the planning area is presented and
the plan recommendations are discussed under the major
sub-headings of Land use Planning, Structural Wastewater
Facilities, and Water Quality Management. The second
part of this document deals with implementation activities
and their impacts under the sub-headings of Action at
the Local Level, Action at the State Level, Action at
the Federal Level, The Role of the private Sector, and
Water Quality Management Coordination and Plan Update.
Part II also contains a discussion of the public partici-
pation efforts and the Draft Environmental impact State-
ment process which were a part of the planning activities.
The purpose of this final EIS is to provide the pub-
lic with a means of evaluating and commenting upon pro-
posed actions resulting from the areawide water quality
management planning process. This is mandated by the
National Environmental policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Section
102(2)(C) of the Act requires an Environmental Impact
Statement whenever a proposed action will "significantly
affect the quality of the human environment." To the
extent necessary, the environmental impact statement to
follow must address:
1)	The environment impacts of the proposed
alternatives,
2)	Any adverse environmental effects which
cannot be avoided....
3)	Alternatives for proper management of
water bodies,
4)	The relationship between local short-term
uses of man's environment and the maint-
enance and enhancement of long-term
productivity, and
5)	Any irreversible and irretrievable commit-
ments of resources which would be involved
in the alternatives which have been explored.
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Major decisions of the courts and guidelines by the counc
on Environmental Quality have clarified and amplified the
intent of this Act.
Additional copies of this EIS can be reviewed at:
-	Southern Kennebec valley Regional planning
Commiss ion
16 Bangor Street, Augusta, Maine
-	Cobbossee Watershed District
15 High Street, Winthrop, Maine
-	Lithgow Public Library (Augusta)
-	Isaac Umerhine public Library (Richmond)
-	Wayne Memorial Library (Wayne)
-	Maine Department of Environmental protection
State House, Augusta, Maine
-	U. S. Environmental protection Agency
Region I - Room 2203
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Boston, Massachusetts 02203

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A two year planning effort leading to this Final Report
would have been impossible without the assistance of a
great number of people. First and foremost, it is appropri-
ate to acknowledge the volunteers who served on the numerous
committees that guided and reviewed the Plan's development.
A list of committee membership appears in a chapter of part
II of the Plan. Special appreciation is due Oliver Coulling,
Chairman of the 208 Sewer and Water Committee and Linda
Dyer, chairman of the 208 Management Planning Subcommittee
for their extra effort in organizing and conducting meet-
ings of these two important committees.
The 208 planning staff at the Regional planning Com-
mission and the cobbossee Watershed District worked dili-
gently and effectively in meeting the many interim report
deadlines as well as producing the drafts of this Final plan.
Without the extra effort and commitment to the project,
the Commission would not have met its original timetable
set for the completion of the Plan. The SKVRPC and CWD
208 planning staffs included.-
SKVRPC: Steven Freedman - 208 Staff Engineer
Sue Burns - Land Use Planner
Holly Dominie - coastal Zone Planner
Thomas ursia - Land Use planner
Patrick Rowland - Cartographer
Judy Carleton - Administrative Assistant
Debbie Ross - Secretary
CWD:	Thomas Gordon - Executive Director
Katherine Sage - Non-Point Source planner
Elizabeth Moran - Monitoring Director
David Dominie - Sewage Systems Analyst
Wendy King - Technical Assistant
A final note of gratitute is due the private consultants
and public agencies which worked under contract to the Com-
mission. These included:
private
Consultants: Whitman & Howard
SEA, Inc.
James Sewall Co.
Carroll Taylor
Wright, pierce, Barnes & Wyman
A. E. Hodsdon
Herbert Doten
Curt Beal Assoc.
Alda Stich
William MacDonald
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Public
Agencies:	Soil Conservation Service - U.S.D.A.
Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation
District
U.S. Geological Survey
Maine State Bureau of Geology
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
To all of those mentioned above I wish, on behalf of
all the Commissioners, to express my thanks.
John B. Forster
Planner-Administrator
S.K.V.R.P.C.
iv

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
page no.
PART I
INTRODUCTION	 3
THE SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY SETTING
1.	The Physical Setting	 10
2.	population Distribution and Economic
Setting	 22
3.	The political and institutional
Setting	 25
PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
LAND USE PLANNING: CONTROL OF NON-POINT
SOURCES OF POLLUTION AND UTILIZING OUR LAND
1.	Animal waste Management	 28
2.	Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater
from Agricultural Activities	 33
3.	Erosion from Agricultural Lands...	 34
4.	Erosion and Sedimentation from
Construction		36
5.	Stormwater Runoff from Developed Areas..	43
6.	Sand and Gravel Mining		53
7.	Road Salt and Salt Storage		56
8.	Solid and Residual Waste Disposal		57
9.	Forest Management practices		64
10.	Sensitive Areas protection	 65
11.	The Secondary Effects of Sewer and
Water Line Extensions	 76
12.	Code Enforcement	 79
13.	The Local Planning and Implementation
Process	 80
STRUCTURAL WASTEWATER FACILITIES
1.	Needed Treatment Facilities		96
2.	Stormwater and Combined Sewer Overflows.	101
3.	Non-Sewered and Remote Areas		105
4.	Industrial pretreatment		113
5.	Monmouth-Winthrop-Manchester-Hallowell-
Augusta Regional Trunkline	 113
WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT: STANDARDS,
RESTORATION AND MONITORING
1.	Standards and Goals for Lakes and
Their Tributaries	 117
2.	Standards and Goals for the Kennebec
River and Urban Tributaries		126
3.	Lake Restoration		130
4.	Long Range water Resource Monitoring....	132
5.	Other water Resource Data Needs		13 5
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Page No.
PART II
IMPLEMENTATION SUMMARY
1.	Management Framework		13 9
2.	Implementation Strategy				141
ACTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL		143
Augusta		154
Chelsea		16 5
Farmingdale		171
Fayette		177
Gardiner		183
Hallowell					190
Litchfield		197
Manchester		2 08
Monmouth			217
Mount Vernon		2 27
Pittston		234
Randolph	-		241
Readfield		245
Richmond		2 52
Vienna		2 61
Wayne		266
West Gardiner		273
Whitefield		281
Windsor				286
Winthrop				293
ACTION AT THE STATE LEVEL		305
ACTION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL		313
THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR		319
WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION AND
PLAN UPDATE: THE ROLE OF THE REGIONAL PLAN-
NING COMMISSION		328
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND DRAFT E.I.S. PROCESS.. 334
vi

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APPENDIXES
Appendix 1 - Water Quality Issues
2	- Definition of Selected Terras and
Abbreviations
3	- Letters in Response to Draft E.I.S.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
TECHNICAL APPENDIXES
(This Final Plan is accompanied by three technical appendixes.
These are available from the SKVRPC or Region I of E.P.A.)
Appendix 1 - Land Use Reports
Demographic Trends and Projections
Economic Conditions
Transportation Analysis
Land Use Trends and Projections
Preliminary Report on Development Goals
Preliminary Land Use Constraints
Appendix 2 - Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Reports
Publicly Owned Facilities
Non-Sewered Areas Wastewater Disposal Problem
Areas, Phases I, II, III
Industrial Waste Overview
Appendix 3 - Non-Point Source Pollution and Water Quality
Reports
Non-Point Source Pollution
Land Use Evaluation Areas - Selection
Non-Point Sources of Pollution to Lakes
Water Quality Overview
Lake Fact Sheets
vii

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LIST OF FIGURES
Page No.
Figure 1 - Summary of Annual Phosphorus Loading
to Southern Kennebec Valley-
Lakes 1976-77	 12
2	- Earthen Lagoon for Storage of Liquid
Manure and Concrete Storage Pit for
Solid Manure	 30
3	- Typical Erosion and Sedimentation
Controls for Construction Sites	 38
4	- Hydrologic Changes caused by
Development	 45
5	- Dutch Drains and Seepage pits	 47
6	- Detention and Retention ponds	 48
7	- Multi-use Seepage Areas (Infiltra-
tion Basins)	 49
8	- The Hydrologic Cycle	 54
9	- A Typical Cluster System	 107
10	- Septic Tank Systems	 110
11	- phosphorus Loadings to Southern
Kennebec Valley Lakes by Source (%)
1976-77	 119
12	- phosphorus Load: Concentration
Relationship - Southern Kennebec
Valley Lakes	 121
13	- Phosphorus Load: concentration
Relationship - Expanded Scale	 122
viii

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> 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
LIST OF MAPS
Page No.
-	208 Water Quality Study Area	 1
-	Regional perspective	 2
-	Steep Slopes	(back pocket)
-	wetlands	(back pocket)
-	Floodplains	(back pocket)
-	Shallow to Bedrock	(back pocket)
-	Groundwater Aquifers	(back pocket)
-	Current Lake water Quality	 14
-	Assimilative capacity	 15
-	Need for Protection	 18
-	Surface Water Classifications	 19
-	Public Water Supply Sources	 20
-	Domestic and Industrial Wastewater
Management Situation	(back pocket)
-	Drainage Areas	 21
-	Population Increase in the SKVRPC
Region	 24
-	Drainage Areas in Litchfield	 198
ix

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LIST OF TABLES
Pa go No.
Table 1 - Selected Land Use Comparison in the 208
Study Area	 11
2	- 1974 Land Uses — Southern Kennebec
Valley Region	 13
3	- Lake Resources - Need for protection	 17
4	- Population Change -- Southern Kennebec
Valley Region	 23
5	- Checklist of Erosion and Sediment
Control Measures	 39
6	- Development Density and Stormwater
Runoff	 44
7	- Measures for Reducing and Delaying urban
Storm Runoff	 46
8	- DEP Observations on Solid Waste Management 59-62
9	- Groundwater as a Source of water
Supply	 68
10	- The Occurrence of Wetlands	 70
11	- Current Status of Community Planning
Activities	 83
12	- Minimum Lot Size Controls in Southern
Kennebec valley Municipalities	 84
13	- projected 20 Year Wastewater Generation
Publicly Owned Facilities	 98
14	- projected 20 Year Public Wastewater
Expenditures - 1976 Dollars	 99
15	- Cluster Alternatives for Non-Sewered
Problem Areas	 108
16	- Non-Cluster Alternatives for Problem
Areas	 109
17	- Regional Industrial Wastewater Pre-
treatment Situation	 114
18	- Southern Kennebec Valley Lakes
Current Water Quality	 118
19	- Lake Restoration: Needed Reduction in
Phosphorus Loading	 131
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LIST OF TABLES (continued)
Page No.
Table 20 - Summary of Plan Implementation
Agencies and Responsibilities	 140
21	- implementation Strategy	 142
22	- Local Water Quality Management
Responsibilities	 144
23	- Existing and proposed Controls on
Development	 150
24	- Existing and Recommended Controls on
Agriculture, Silviculture, and Sand
and Gravel Mining	 151
2 5 - Existing and Recommended Controls on
Public and private Sewage Disposal	 152
26 - State Water Quality Management
Responsibilities	 311
2 7 - Federal Water Quality Management
Responsibilities	 317
28 - private Sector Water Quality Management
Responsibilities	 320
2 9 - Draft E.I.S. and Final Plan Public
Meetings	 341
xi

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PART I
PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

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INTRODUCTION

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IV1A.P 1
S08 WATER QUALITY
STUDY AREA
WINDSOR
MT VERNON
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READFIELD
AUGUSTA
WAYNE
ALLOWELL
FARNHNGDALE
5
RANDOLPH
WHITEFELD
WEST GARDINER
S	\ P|T1
f GARDINER 1
PITTSTON
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RICHMOND
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ww »k\/wc to/rm

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MAP 2
-To Bangor
Skowhegari.
Rum ford.
208 Water"
Quality
Study Area
r~ /
Rockland
Auburn:
Brunswick
To Boston

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INTRODUCTION
This document, THE WATER QUALITY MANAOKMKNT PLAN FOR
THE SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY, is the culmination of two
years of intensive effort on the part of the Southern Kenne-
bec Valley Regional Planning commission (SKVRPC), the
Cobbossee Watershed District, a number of local, State and
Federal representatives to committees established within
the planning process and several private consultants. The
plan presented here is also the result of suggestions and
constructive criticisms by residents and business people of
the planning area who responded to interim reports and
attended meetings at which elements of the plan were dis-
cussed. The plan lays out the process by which the partic-
ipants arrived at the recommendations. it also presents
the recommendations for upgrading and preserving water qual-
ity in the region and describes the activities at the local,
State and Federal level which must take place in order for
the plan to be carried out.
The first question that had to be addressed before
starting the planning process was whether improved water
quality management was important enough to merit a major
effort in time and money within the region. The Commission
presented this question to every community in the proposed
project area. The municipal officers were asked to support
the proposed designation as a water quality management plan-
ning area based on their knowledge of existing problems and
the relative importance of addressing those problem:;.
The composite answer from these meetings indicated
that water quality was a very important issue to the people
of the region. The poor water quality in some of the larg-
est lakes was particularly troubling. To the communities
around the lakes it represented a recreational and economic
resource being threatened. On the most severely polluted
lake (Annabessacook), property tax rates had already fallen
to about half the regional lakefront average. To the
Augusta Water District, the decrease in lake water quality
threatened the possible need for an expensive treatment
system to insure high quality drinking water. These two
concerns, the use of water for recreation and for water
supplies for communities and industries, were expressed in
most communities. There was also a strong desire to pre-
serve the existing high level of water quality in the less
developed lakesheds. Because of the strong response from
communities, the Regional Planning Commission voted to
request designation from the State and Federal government
for water quality planning.
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This initial plan is a direct result of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-
500). Section 208 of the Act provides for areawide waste
treatment management planning in areas which, as a result
of urban-industrial concentrations or other factors, have
substantial water quality control problems which cannot
be solved through the traditional approach of treatment
facility construction. Through Section 208, such areas
are provided funds to plan and manage a comprehensive pro-
gram to control municipal and industrial wastewater,
stormwater runoff, non-point source pollutants, and land
use as it relates to water quality.
The purpose of the 208 planning process is to formu-
late an areawide water quality management plan that can be
implemented by a management agency or by a group of man-
agement agencies. These agencies must be identified in
the plan. The planning process therefore integrates both
the technical needs for pollution control and the manage-
ment arrangements required to implement the controls.
The Maine Department of Environmental protection
(DEP) played a major role in the development of five area-
wide 208 planning regions within the State. It was the
DEP which translated the 1972 Act and the Federal regula-
tions that followed the Act into a process allowing areas
to apply for designation at the State level. The areas
accepted were then forwarded through the Office of the
Governor to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
for final acceptance. Because of the DEP1s initiative,
while many other states were holding back their designa-
tion processes, all five Maine areas were funded.
The S.K.V.R.P.C. has been interested in water quality
management activities since its inception in 1967. The
Commission assisted in the formation of a four-community
trunkline sewer project which removed a great deal of
municipal and industrial wastewater from a sensitive lakes
area for treatment and disposal in the Kennebec River.
The Commission also acted as the vehicle for an inter-
community planning effort in the Gardiner, Farmingdale and
Randolph area, leading to an agreement to use a single
collection and treatment system for the three communities.
At the request of Augusta, Chelsea and the Togus veterans
Administration Hospital, the Commission also investigated
problems in the Togus Pond and Stream area. Finally, the
Commission developed the enabling legislation, and after
passage, actively supported the creation of the Cobbossee
Watershed District. This District is the first of its kind
in Maine and is empowered to raise money to improve water
quality and insure water levels within its jurisdiction.
Because of these activities occurring between 1967 and 1974,
the S.K.V.R.P.C. felt that Section 208 was a natural contin-
uation of its water quality management involvement. In
undertaking the program, the Regional Planning Commissioners
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were particularly pleased with two aspects of 208 planning.
First, the comprehensive nature of the program allowed,
for the first time, the Commission to look at all aspects
of water quality management on a regional basis. Second,
and perhaps more important, Section 208 was intended as a
"bottom-up" process to allow analysis of water quality prob-
lems and their solutions at a regional level and thus
held the promise of greater local control of the important
decisions which are necessary to manage water quality. The
Commission has always advocated a strong role for local
governments and local citizens in all governmental planning
and implementation activities.
A very large part of the two year planning effort has
gone into increasing the understanding of the water quality
problems in the region. The Southern Kennebec Valley was
designated for 208 funding primarily because of the severely
degraded condition of several of its lakes and its compli-
cated system of regional wastewater collection and treatment
facilities. Thus the major emphasis was placed on the anal-
ysis of lake water quality and associated land drainages,
and on the future of the regional wastewater facilities sys-
tem. Because there were no indications of an areawide
groundwater quality problem, and because of the high costs
associated with the analysis of groundwater systems, this
aspect of the region's water resources was not a major focus.
A need for future research in this area was clearly identi-
fied during the planning process, however, in order to ade-
quately protect this resource from future water quality
problems.
The 208 investigations were divided into two groupings -
point and non-point sources of pollution. Point sources of
pollution enter surface or groundwater at a precise location
usually at the end of a sewer line, storm drain or treat-
ment facility outfall. Non-point sources of pollution enter
lakes, streams, rivers or groundwater over a large area and
are therefore difficult to collect at a single point for
quantification or treatment. Under the heading of point
sources of pollution, the 208 plan examines existing and
proposed community wastewater treatment systems, stormwater
runoff systems and combined storm and sanitary sewer sys-
tems in highly developed urban areas and major industrial
waste treatment arrangements within the region. Under the
heading of non-point sources of pollution, stormwater prob-
lems in non-urban areas, ac. icultural practices, construc-
tion activities, on-site subsurface waste disposal, solid
waste and other residual waste disposals, forest management
practices, sand and gravel miring and road salting and stor-
age were all examined. All of these subjects were investi-
gated while current and alternative future management ar-
rangements were being explored to determine how and by whom
the recommendations could be implemented.
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Throughout the two year planning process, interim
reports were written for review and comment so that the plan-
ners 1 increasing knowledge could be discussed, shared and
revised with the help of interested citizens and technicians
from many State and Federal agencies. The following is a
list of the program's interim reports. They will be refer-
enced throughout this final report and used to back up
the recommended plan. They are available for review at a
number of locations for convenience. These are the Regional
Planning Commission, the Cobbossee Watershed District, the
Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the u. S.
Environmental Protection Agency in Boston.
WATER QUALITY:
Existing Water Quality (December 1975) - an initial
analysis of the area's water quality.
Water Resources Data Availability (October 1975) - a
preliminary analysis of the extent of available
hydrologic and water quality data.
Water Quality Overview (April 1977) - a final assess-
ment of the region's water quality taking into ac-
count the data gathered as part of the planning pro-
gram.
STRUCTURAL WASTEWATER FACILITIES:
Existing Publicly Owned Facilities Report (October
1975) - a brief synopsis of the area's existing
municipally owned wastewater facilities.
Regional Facilities Overview (February 1976) - a
look into the region's 20-year sewering needs and
wastewater treatment needs.
Publicly Owned Facilities (March 1977) - a more
detailed report on the above subject including waste-
water facilities, stormwater needs and sewer systems.
Industrial Waste Overview (January 1976) - a de-
scription of the area's industrial wastewater dis-
posal problems.
Non-Sewered Areas Wastewater Disposal Problems -
Phases I, n and III (June 1976; December 1976; Janu-
ary 197 7) - a three part study of the non-sewered
areas in terms of their wastewater disposal problems,
the physical, institutional and financial alterna-
tives available to them, and other subsurface dis-
posal recommendations.
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Areawide Water Quality Management Plan for Gardiner
Subregion Waste Management Systems (January 19 77)
- By SEA Consultants, Incorporated, Boston, Mas-
sachusetts .
Report On Facilities Planning Update, Urban Runoff and
Storm Drainage, Future Sewer Service Areas, Sedimenta-
tIon7Erosion and Sludge Disposal For the Richmond ~
Utilities District (September 1976) - By Wright, Pierce,
Barnes & Wyman Engineers & Planners, Topsham, Maine.
20 8 Study, Manchester (February 1977) - By Carroll E.
Taylor and Associates, Auburn, Maine.
20 8 Study, Winthrop (October 19 76) - By Carroll E.
Taylor and Associates, Auburn, Maine.
An Analysis of the_Hall_owell Water District Waste Manage-
ment System with Regard to Storm Sewers Sewer Service
Area Extensions, and Water Quality Problems in Hallowell,
Maine" (December 19 76] - By James W. Sewall Company, Old
Town, Maine
A Study of the Storm Water Management System of the Town
of Monmouth, Maine (January 1976) By Herbert R. Doten,
Consulting Engineer, Augusta, Maine.
A Study of the Waste Management of the Town of Monmouth
Maine (December 1976) - By Curt. E. Beal Associates,
Incorporated, Augusta, Maine.
Inter-Community Trunkline Analysis (August 1976) - Whitman
and Howard, Incorporated, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Water Quality Management Plan, Augusta Sector (December
1976) - Whitman and Howard Incorporated, Wellesley, Mas-
sachusetts .
LAND USE AND NON-POINT SOURCES OF WASTES:
Economic Conditions in the Southern Kennebec valley
(November 1975) - a study of the region's manufact-
uring, employment and other pertinent data.
Demographic Trends and Projections (January 1976) -
study of the region's population with projections
for the future.
Transportation Analysis (February 1976) - an analysis
of the region's transportation networks and traffic
volumes.
Land Use Trends and projections (March 1976) - an
analysis of the 1966-1974 changes in land use.
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Preliminary Land Use Constraints (June 1976) - a
brief description of the area's critical and sensi-
tive resources.
Non-Point Source Pollution (March 1976) - a prelimi-
nary look at the non-point pollution problems in the
region, including guidelines for their control.
Land Use Evaluation Areas - Selection (February 1976) -
a short explanation of a select number of areas for
land use - water quality study.
Preliminary Report on Development Goals - (March 1976) -
an analysis of the area's land use and development
attitudes.
Lakeshed Study Areas - Detailed Studies of Land Use -
Water Quality Relationships in the Southern Kennebec
Region (April 1977) - comprehensive studies of the
seven lakesheds chosen for intensive land use - water
quality studies: Annabessacook Lake, Cobbossee Lake,
Pleasant Pond, Togus Pond, Jamies-Hutchinson, Carlton-
Narrows and Lovejoy-Pocasset.
Non-Point Sources of Pollution to Lakes (April 1977) -
a summary type report of the above lakeshed studies
expanded to the other lakes in the region.
MANAGEMENT:
Legal-Institutional Arrangements for Area-wide Waste
Treatment Management Planning (March 19 76) - an over-
view study conducted by four Maine 208 agencies.
Regional Managment Study (February 1977) - a study
of the local and reginal institutions, their strengths
and weaknesses with initial recommendations.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (January 1977) -
a joint publication of the Commission and EPA on the
impacts of the various management alternatives.
The Plan is divided into two Parts. Part I, entitled
PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS consists of a chapter briefly describing
the region in terms of its current land and water conditions,
population and economic characteristics, and political and
institutional arrangements. This is followed by the main body
which consists of plan recommendations under the sub-headings
of Land Use Planning, Structural Wastewater Facilities, and
Water Quality Management. Part II is entitled IMPLEMENTATION
ACTIVITIES AND THEIR IMPACTS. This Part translates the recom-
mendations of Part I into recommended actions at the local,
State, and Federal levels as well as the role of various pri-
vate sector groups and the Regional Planning Commission. Parts
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I and II are also a Federally required assessment of the pro-
posed plan, containing environmental, economic and social-
political impacts of the various recommendations.
The region's waters are one of the most important re-
sources it possesses. The Commission firmly believes that
all persons must understand the components of good water
quality management and make a commitment to implement water
quality management in this region. This plan represents the
first comprehensive attempt to carry out this belief.
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THE SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY SETTING

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THE SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY SETTING
The following is a brief description of the Southern
Kennebec valley. its purpose is to give a frame of refer-
ence to the recommendations in the next section of the plan.
For a more complete description of the setting, see chapter
Two of the Draft Environmental impact Statement on the pro-
posed 208 Water Quality Management Plan for the Southern
Kennebec valley of Maine as well as the several interim
reports that are referenced in the text.
1. The physical Setting
The Southern Kennebec Valley area is located in south
Central Maine in a region including the Kennebec River from
Merrymeeting Bay north to the head of tide in Augusta (see
Maps 1 and 2) . To the west of the Kennebec River, the
Cobbossee drainage includes a number of large lakes. Fur-
ther to the west, a portion of the Androscoggin River, the
Thirty Mile Stream, runs through the region with another
chain of connected lakes. The terrain is higher and steep-
er in the north-west corner of the region. (Refer to Map 3
in back pocket.) To the east of the Kennebec there are
fewer lakes and ponds; the Togus Pond drainage area is the
only large system wholly within this portion of the study
area. The drainage of the region also includes extensive
wetlands and floodplains. (See pocket Map 4 and 5.)
The surficial geology of the region includes areas of
sand and gravel, marine clays and till that is shallow to
bedrock. (See Pocket Map 6.) Many of the soils occurring
in these deposits are considered poor for a number of
development and waste disposal uses. Other constraints in
the region include extensive wetlands and floodplains. As
indicated in a report by the Maine Bureau of Geology en-
titled Reconnaissance of Ground Water Resources and Sur-
ficial Geology of the Southern Kennebec Valley, several sur-
ficial deposits store large quantities of groundwater.
(See Pocket Map 7.)
The Study established six categories of land uso: 1)
densely developed urban areas, 2) less dense suburban and
rural development, 3) agricultural land, 4) reverting
fields, 5) forest land and 6) wetlands. Table 2 on page 13
-10-

-------
shows the various land uses by municipality in 1974. in
1974 forests covered 72% of the region's land area.
Between 1966 and 1974 significant land use changes
occurred. Table 1 shows changes in selected land uses on
a regional basis.
Table 1



SELECTED LAND USE COMPARISON IN
THE 208
STUDY
AREA
Land use Type
1966

1974
URBAN-RURAL DEVELOPMENT
17,219
acres
30,780
dense urban areas
suburban, village, rural areas
open recreational areas
sand and gravel pits
3,058
13,021
302
838

4,461
24,504
293
1, 522
AGRICULTURAL LAND
44,201

31,439
FOREST LAND
223,977

227,853
disturbed
undisturbed
156,457
67,520

28,161
199,692
WETLANDS
12,998

12,941
It is important to note that while the amount of farmland
within the region decreased between 1966 and 19 74, the in-
tensity of that use increased. That is, more livestock
were kept on less land. This is significant in terms of
non-point pollution as will be demonstrated in the discussion
of agricultural water quality management activities. Be-
sides the decline in agricultural acreage, Table 1 shows a
significant increase in developed land, especially the sub-
urban village and rural areas category. This land use
change is also significant in terms of non-point pollution.
The relationship between these major land uses and current
water quality can be seen graphically in Figure 1, taken
from the report entitled Non-Point Sources of Pollution to
Lakes.
The quality of the region's waters varies greatly. Some
lakes and streams exhibit very high quality while others are
severely polluted. The major contaminant to the area's lakes
are nutrients which encourage the growth of algae, particu-
larly phosphorus. The planning process identified two impor-
tant criteria for judging the needs of lakes for various
water quality management activities. These two criteria are
current water quality and assimilative capacity. (See Maps
8 and 9.) The assimilative capacity of a lake is its ability
-11-

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FIGURE 1
SUMMARY OF ANNUAL PHOSPHORUS LOADING TO
SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY LAKES1
1976-77
AGRICULTURE
(manure fields)
DEVELOPMENT
20%
FORESTS
8%
PRECIPITATION
5%
SEPTIC TANKS
3%
INTERNAL2
0	1000	2000	3000	4000	5000	6000
kilograms/year
"'"Sum of loadings from 21 of the region's
28 lakes.
Phosphorus release from lake bottom sediments m
Annabessacook Lake.

-------
Table 2
1/
1974 LAND USES — SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY REGION
(by percentage)
Developed Areas

1/



Agri.
Reverting
Forest
Wet-
Municipality
Total
Urban
Suburban
Other
Land
Fields
Lands
lands
Augusta
16%
6%
9%
1
8%
4%
66%
7%
Chelsea
10
—
9
1
10
8
69
4
Farmingdale
13
5
6
2
12
5
68
2
Fayette
6
—
6
0
6
2
83
4
Gardiner
21
9
11
1
9
4
66
1
Hallowell
27
15
9
3
18
5
50
0.1
Litchfield
7
—
6
1
9
4
78
2
Manchester
10
—
9
1
10
2
76
2
Monmouth
9
—
8
1
14
3
69
6
Mt. Vernon
5
—
5
0
6
2
79
8
Pittston
8
—
8
0
10
10
70
2
Randolph
32
20
12
0
19
14
35
0
Readfield
9
—
o
U
1
10
3
76
3
Richmond
12
2
10
0
20
5
61
2
Vienna
4
—
4
0
5
2
84
4
Wayne
8
—
7
1
6
2
80
4
West Gardiner
10
—
10
0
11
7
70
1
Whitefield
6
—
5
1
12
5
73
5
Windsor
7
—
6
1
11
10
64
9
Winthrop
13
2
11
0
9
3
73
2
SKV REGION
10%
1%
8%

10%
5%
72%
4%
1/ Land Use Interpretation by Alda Stich, Landscape Architect, for SKVRPC.
2/ The percentages do not add to 100 in seme cases due to rounding of the figures.

-------
MAP B
CURRENT
LAKE WATER QUALITY
MODERATE

LOW
mt venNQN
\ i)
V
fj v LiTc.HFiei^a
f -~i
/ ,/ '
[ Soullieii1 KmwK.
-------
MAP 3
ASSIMILATIVE CAPACITY
HIGH
LOW
MT VERNON
MONMOU
OAPDINBR

Southern Kennebec Valley
Regional Planning Commission
location map
SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY REGION

This map has been financed with
Federal funds from the Environmental
Protection Agency under Grant no.
P 001-06-301
PRIPARID BV P. ROWLAND
JUNE a, 1977 FOR SKVRPC
-15-
-------
to withstand additional amounts of phosphorus. A lake's
shape, depth, volume and flushing rates are all taken
into account in determining its assimilative capacity.
Table 3 which follows the maps interprets these factors in-
to the need for protection, ranked high, moderate or low
as shown in Map 10. The surface water classifications of
the region's waters are depicted in Map 11.
There are four lakes in the region with currently low
water quality: Annabessacook, Cobbossee, Little Cobbossee
and Pleasant Pond. Several streams which are tributaries
to these eutrophic lakes were monitored during the plan's
development. Of primary interest was the amount of phos-
phorus (a nutrient) being carried to the lake. Several of
the streams showed high phosphorus content, including
Wilson Stream and Mill Stream into Annabessacook, jock
Stream and jug Stream into Cobbosseecontee, and Potters
Brook into Pleasant Pond.
Water quality in the Kennebec River as it flows
through the region is severely degraded. This is due to
upstream pollution from the Waterville-Winslow area and
the municipal waste from the Augusta through Gardiner cor-
ridor within the region. The degradation is evidenced in
visible solids and complete oxygen depletion resulting in
an anaerobic decomposition with its associated foul odors
during low flow periods. The tributaries to the Kennebec
are severely degraded during storm runoff periods accumula-
ting sediment and other pollution from developed lands and
roadways.
The uses of the region's waters are varied, ranging
from industrial and domestic water supply to recreation and
wastewater disposal. Several lakes are used for public
water supply as shown in Map 12; unfortunately two of these,
Pleasant Pond and Cobbossee, have severe water quality
problems. The Kennebec River is a major receptacle for
wastewater disposal throughout the entire Kennebec valley.
Pocket Map 13 illustrates that all of the industrial and
municipally-collected wastewater is or will be discharged
into the Kennebec River after treatment. Most lakes have
both year-round and seasonal development, although the
trend is toward year-round usage. Map 14 shows the drainage
areas within the 208 region. It is important that any
water quality management activities take into account the
different needs of various drainages.
For more detailed information on the physical setting
of the study area, see the interim reports entitled Land
Use Trends and projections and water Quality Overview.
-16-
-------
Table 3
LAKE RESOURCES
NEED FOR PROTECTION^/
High Need for Protection: low water quality (phosphorus
concentration equal to or greater than 15 parts per
billion) and/or low assimilative capacity (slow
flushing or shallow).
Annabessacook Lake
Carlton Pond
Cobbossee Lake
Cochnewagon Lake
Little Cobbossee Lake
Lower Narrows Pond
Parker Pond
Pleasant Pond
Togus Pond
Torsey Lake
Upper Narrows Pond
Moderate Need for Protection: moderate water quality
(phosphorus concentration between 10 and 15 ppb) and/
or moderate assimilative capacity.
Androscoggin Lake
Berry Pond
Buker Pond
Dexter Pond
Hutchinson Pond
Maranacook Lake (upper basin)
Threecornered Pond
Low Need for Protection: high water quality (phosphorus
concentration less than 10 ppb) and/or high assimi-
lative capacity (deep or fast flushing).
Echo Lake
Plying Pond
Jamies Pond
Lovejoy Pond
Minnehonk Lake
Maranacook Lake (lower basin)
Pocasset Lake
Sand Pond
Wilson Pond
Woodbury Pond
i./ Phosphorus concentration of 15 ppb is oomtionly accepted as the level at
which nuisance algae blocms can be expected and is also used by the Maine
DEP as the upper level os phosphorus to be allowed in Class 6P-A lakes.
A level of 10-15 ppb was chosen to indicate moderate need for protection
somewhat arbitarily, reflecting water quality conditions relative to Maine.
-17-
-------
MAP lO
FOR PROTECTION
HIGH
LOW
MT VIRNON

Southern Kennebec Vafley
Regional Planning Commission
location map
SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY REGION
TMb map has been financed with
Federal funds from tta emrironmentat
Protection Agency under Grant no.
P-001-06-301
Scale 1": 16,000'
li 11 ? 1 fj *"
-18-

-------
MAP 11
Surface Water Classifications
flMT \ VBRNCMM
Compiled by: Cobbossee Watershed District
NOTES
1. All Rivers, Streams and Brooks not specified
are Classified B-1
ZAII Great Ponds are Presently Classified B-1
3.Maine Department of Environmental Protection
recommended to the 108th Legislature the following;
(a| All Great Ponds to be Classified GP-A with the
following exceptions which are GP-B; Amabeeeacook,
Cobbosseecontee and Little Cobbosseocontce Lakes
and Pleasant Pond.
ib] Certain Streams to be Upgraded to B-2,denoted by *
(cj Certain Streams to be Upgraded to B-1,denoted by ~
4.Changes in Classification denoted by-*-^.
^Nonoscooow
Has* j

W/
/ CHCLSIA /

Ml
RICHMOND
Southern Kennebec Valley Region
1" * 18,000'
CARTOOAAPMC STAFF:
Patrick D. RowUnd
-------
MAP 18
THE PUBLIC
WATER SUPPLY SOURCES
primary sources
secondary sources
WT ymNOlSi
Mafanadook Uteft
MMlYISM
V>
WtNOSO*
w(NT
pper >NarrdwsM0j5hd
hallow*
Kermfttec Vatfey
B^ooal Planning Commission
location map
SOUTHERN
KENNEBEC
valley region
Both Augusta and Gardiner Water Districts also
us® groundwater sources.
The Monmouth Water Association and th*
Richmond UtMtiss District us® groundwater only-
SSL-WJSSfc!!!!
ScMt 1**18,000'
****** A RBD BY - m. nCWLONO
•»M>m m, tmm worn «KVnpc
-------
MAP 14
DRAINAGE AREAS
/
A
v«rtr«
MAJOR BASINS
MINOR BASINS
LAKESHEDS

A
¦UMMIRHAVIN
LAKI
V
<\J.i
//,
3MAf
ii^ednm^o

IMCHMOND
.u
Southern Kannabac Vsllay
Regional Planning Commission
location map
SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY REGION
TWs map tin bm fW»w»d »rith
Fadsral lundt Irom tl» Environmental
Protection Jtaancy undar Grant no.
P-001-06-301
Scata 1H> 16,000'
33" ¦* MOWLAW
JiXstm a, W7 nn «kv«pc
_
-------
2 population Distribution and Economic Setting
The population of the region has been growing in the
past decade and its distribution has been changing. The
profile of population change in 1960-1975 indicates a
shift in the growth of numbers of residents from urban to
rural places. The urban and rural distinction is not
merely one of the population of a municipality. It in-
volves also the density of the development. During the six-
ties, the communities bordering the west bank of the Kenne-
bec River from Augusta to Gardiner, with the exception of
Farmingdale and with the inclusion of Randolph across the
river from Gardiner, either lost residents or gained only
a very small number. These communities are the most densely
settled in the region and continue to attract commercial
and industrial development.
This shift in the decade of the sixties reflects
national and State trends. People moved out from densely
settled urban areas to surrounding suburbs or the country-
side. The estimated population changes from 1970-197 5
further emphasize this shift. Table 4 on the following
page indicates the population change in each community with-
in the study area from 1960-1975. Map 15 which follows
graphically illustrates this change.
The growth rate of the region's labor force from 1960-
1970 exceeded that °f.the State by a considerable margin.
This trend continued into the early 1970-s i
ability of jobs, however, did not Lllow tte trenSM
1975 the Augusta Labor Market Area (including all but two
towns xn the study area) began to fall behind the State
average as unemployment rose significantly At oresent
the region is still behind the State average present'
The region's work force is composed of a h-icrhor r^rcent-
^atfwilf^raSfanfS"1031 8113 worths th£ the
tltftZlT/fZZiranfopeSt^Pri??iLl0WS; ¦ °L
a function of the State GoveS^ent ^ S ThlS 13 Primarily
in Augusta. Not surprisingly, the City^^g^tf
primary place of employment within +--k~ ^ ^ugusta is tne
There Sere 14,183 in Aug^tf re910"'
total, 7,078 resided within the city and A So, •
other communities within the reaion & 4»783 resided in
residents of the region worked outcs^o ^roximatel-y 10,000
within Kennebec County and 3,000 outsitf Augusta; 7,000
2 shows the relationship of the reci-ini f County. Map
portation and economic corridor wh?r>, State trans-
Maine Turnpike. follows 1-95 and the
For further information on the*
setting, the reports entitled DemoarS«?U and economlC
jections and Economic rrmH-j fiortr—1 Tffnds and pro-
yalley should be referenced. ~ the Southern Kennebec
-22-
-------
Table 4
POPULATION CHANGE — SOUTHERN KENNEBEC VALLEY REGION

1960
1970
% Change
1960-70
July 1,
1975
% Change
1970-75
Maine
969,265
993,663
2.5%
1,057,955
6.5%
Kennebec Co.
89,150
95,247
6.8
100,745
5.8
SKV REGION
54,001
57,268
6.0
60,453
5.6
Augusta
21,680
21,945
1
21,029
-4.2
Chelsea
1,893
2,095
11
2,287
9.2
Farmingdale
1,941
2,423
25
2,492
2.8
Fayette
328
447
36
518
15.9
Gardiner
6,897
6,685
-3
6,723
5.7
Hallowell
3,169
2,814
-11
2,790
-.9
Litchfield
1,011
1,222
21
1,540
26.0
Manchester
1,068
1,331
25
1,490
11.9
Monmouth
1,884
2,062
9
2,523
22.4
Mt. Vernon
596
680
14
756
11.2
Pittston
1,311
1,617
23
2,074
28.3
Randolph
1,724
1,741
1
1,879
7.9
Readfield
1,029
1,258
22
1,429
13.6
Richmond
2,185
2,168
-1
2,424
11.8
Vienna
160
205
28
233
13.7
Wayne
498
577
16
689
19.4
West Gardiner
1,144
1,435
25
1,642
14.4
Whitefield
1,068
1,131
6
1,449
28.1
Windsor
878
1,097
25
1,545
40.8
Winthrop
3,537
4,335
23
4,941
14.0
Source: U.
S. Census of Population,
1970; Current Population Reports,
Population Estimates and Projections, April 1975.
-23-
-------
MAP IS
POPULATION INCREASE AREAS IN
THE SKVRPC REGION
I960-1973
MT VIRIMON
B1°ta AND AIOVI
AUOU8TA
™WT QARDIIMbb-I
N3Q
Southern Kennebec Valley Region
PREPARFrn ^
_ _ « vail^ j iw;
PREPARED BY'-R ROWLAND
FOR SKVRPC 6/77
-24-
-------
3. The political and Institutional Setting
The study area is composed of twenty cities and towns.
These units of general local government have police powers
which include the power to regulate land use. In terms of
the non-point sources of pollution which are closely associ-
ated with land use, each community has the power to limit
water pollution through the exercise of land use regulation.
In a summary of public attitudes towards land use controls
as reported in an interim report entitled Preliminary Report
on Development Goals, the following findings and conclusions
were presented:
1. An awareness of increased population growth
pressures has stimulated a number of towns
to undertake comprehensive planning. The
awareness results primarily from an increased
rate of residential home building in the
towns.
2. increasing growth is perceived as a potential
threat to the character of the community as
well as to the environment, and some communi-
ties are beginning to feel zoning is needed
to guide growth, presently five of the
twenty towns in the 208 Region have areawide
zoning.
3. Most towns wish to preserve their small town
rural atmosphere which is characterized by
a small village center surrounded by low
density rural residences and farms. The Kenne-
bec River corridor towns (Augusta, Hallowell,
Farmingdale, Gardiner, Richmond, pittston,
Randolph and Chelsea) are more favorable to
a mix of urban and rural growth.
4. Additional industrial growth is desired by
over half of the residents in the Kennebec
Corridor towns. Other towns reflect less of
a desire for additional industrial growth and
feel that the town needs some criteria from
which to judge the acceptability of industrial
development proposals.
5. A majority of residents in the Kennebec Cor-
ridor towns and Litchfield prefer a slow
growth rate, with about 30 percent preferring
no growth at all. It is likely that this is
typical of the entire region.
6. Areawide town zoning occurs in only five towns
in the region, and only a few exhibit an ade-
quate understanding of the purposes of such
-25-
-------
zoning - to encourage a diversity of uses
in such a manner as to protect natural
resources, and to minimize unnecessary costs,
which are imposed on the town by ill-planned,
poorly sited development.
7. Existing areawide zoning ordinances will not
discourage a widespread, linear sprawl pat-
tern of development in the future. There is,
therefore, a need to inform towns of alterna-
tive control mechanisms which could be util-
ized to avoid this kind of growth which could
escalate town service costs.
8• Only a few towns perceive the need to plan for
open space and recreation. Only one of the
towns with zoning provides for an open space
district.
9. Towns in the region are in basic agreement
with the goal of shoreland zoning - water
quality protection - and have fo? the most
part met and exceeded minimum State require-
ments for shoreland zoning. Concern ove"5ater
SrehensSr^/V1^0 in" few
comprenens lve plans which arque for
controls around water supplyi3vPa a ^ g
support to regional apprSIcLst^ter^ality
protection such as watershed districts! q y
10. It appears that towns have accents ™
which are related to protect-^ controls
while they have rejected areaw^Wa quality,
on the less
growth. Areawide plannlna orderly
improvement ana protection mus^Serefore^e
based on clearly understanriaKi ~ *-«ererore be
between land use and water qualitvLa^1°Jships
be acceptable to the local J? ¥ 1 13 to
watershed management concept iSS?h°Pie* The
success of the 208 planing ef|o«? Y t0 the
A complex of institutions present-i
with point sources of pollution. Ma it' exists which deal
pocket should be referenced. Theresa encl°sed in the
wastewater treatment plants in operat- ^ tW° Publicly-°wned
The Augusta Sanitary District operated Wlthin the region,
facility serving the City of Augusta a ^ Primary treatment
Chester, Winthrop and Monmouth and most p t?wns of Man_
The Augusta Sanitary District is awa ' +- ¦ industries.
to construct a secondary treatment additfundin(?
ing facility. The Hallowell water Dis-t- • ¦ heir exist-
Federal funds in order to build inter iCt :''s a^so awaiting
nect to the Augusta plant. The Richmo6^ •S^wers to con~
also operates a primary treatment plan? utilities District
Richmond. The District is awaitina serviri9' the town of
aerai funds to upgrade
-26-
-------
its sewer system and add secondary treatment. The City of
Gardiner and the towns of Farmingdale and Randolph presently
discharge raw wastewaters. They are waiting for Federal
funds to build a regional secondary treatment facility and
interceptor system.
In urban areas, stormwater is handled by catch basins
and storm or combined sewer systems discharging to lakes,
streams or the Kennebec River. in some cases these sewers
are the responsibility of a sanitary district; in others
they are operated by the municipality. In the rural areas,
stormwater is usually handled by drainage ditches along road-
ways maintained by the State Department of Transportation
or the municipality.
Most of the major industrial firms in the region use
the available public sewer systems. In Augusta this includes
the Edwards Manufacturing Company (textile), Lipman Poultry
Company, and Kirschners meats. The Carleton Woolen Mill in
Winthrop and the Globe Albany fabric mill in Monmouth are
connected to the trunk sewer which conveys the wastewater
to the Augusta treatment plant. In Gardiner, the Yorktowne
Paper Mill is prepared to use the public sewer system as
soon as the Cobbossee Stream interceptor is constructed.
The Statler Tissue paper mill in Augusta has built its own
treatment plant. The Togus Veterans Hospital in Chelsea is
also operating its own treatment facility. For further
information on existing and proposed facilities, see the
interim reports entitled Publicly Owned Facilities and Indus-
trial Waste Overview and the STRUCTURAL WASTEWATER FACILITIES
section of this report.
A major task of the 208 planning process has been to
coordinate the water quality management functions of the
numerous institutions which affect point and non-point
sources of pollution. The following section entitled THE
WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SOUTHERN KENNEBEC
VALLEY describes the results of this process.
-27-
-------
PLAIN! RECOMMENDATIONS
LAND USE PLANNING: CONTROL OF NON-POINT SOURCES OF
POLLUTION AND UTILIZING OUR LAND
-------
LAND USE PLANNING: CONTROL OP NON-POINT SOURCES OF
POLLUTION AND UTILIZING OUR LAND
I. Animal waste Management
Animal waste management has been shown to have a
significant impact on several lakes in the Southern Kenne-
bec valley Region. This was detailed in the interim report
entitled Non-Point Sources of Pollution to Lakes- Lake
eutrophication - the process of overenrichment by phosphorus
with resultant nuisance algae growths, has been identified
as the region's number one water quality problem It has
previously been shown that animal wastes contain*large
quantities of phosphorus. One dairy cow produces 16 times
as much phosphorus per year as one human, and in the cobbos-
see Stream lakes area there are approximately 42 dairy opera-
tions including 3,300 animals. m terms of phosphorus pro-
duction, this is the equivalent of 52,800 people. The popu-
lation in this same area is roughly 12,000 including the
towns of Monmouth, Litchfield, Winthrop, Readfield, west
Gardiner, Wayne, Wales and Fayette.
Obviously, the potential for phosphorus loading to
lakes from animal wastes is great. m fact, studies con-
ducted m the cobbossee Lake watershed (see 208 interim
report "Cobbossee Lake Study", April lQ^T shoSed tha£l0%
of all animal related phosphorus wastes produced in the
watershed eventually reaches the lake. At this rate of loss,
manure runoff is a major source of phosphorus Jo several
lakes, contributing 30% or mora of the total ye°r!y p£os-
phorus input. These include three of the four nrohlSn lakes
m the region - Cobbossee Lake Tittle r^v.£ problem lak
and pleasant Pond - and nine other ^L^bOSSe? ¦Lake'
otner moderate quality lakes.
It is important to note that agricultural
AnnabessacooK Lake'and^h^nlo' CoSSss91"19 directly int°
to become degraded to their present- ^ see caused the lakes
Because of the stress placed upon condition.
charges, they no longer can withstand +^«eS from these
loadings they could in the past fl&c pollutional
direct discharges have beenT^the £act that the
Augusta sewage treatment facility diverted to the
-28-
-------
All sources of phosphorus are now significant. Be-
cause total reversal of the degradation caused by past
point sources is not considered realistically achievable
even with in-lake restoration techniques, to adequately
restore the lakes to good water quality, agricultural
phosphorus contributions must be reduced as well as con-
tributions from development and other sources.
The future of agriculture, and hence its future im-
pact on lakes not presently stressed, is difficult to
assess. The amount of land in active agricultural use
has been declining statewide for some time. More impor-
tantly, however, the average beef and dairy herd size
has steadily increased so that more animals are being
supported on less land. Between 1966 and 1974 agricult-
ural land in the region dropped by 29%, but between 1969
and 1974 the total number of animals increased by 12%.
If these trends continue, agriculture could increase by
45% by 1995. Without controls to reduce phosphorus runoff
from animal wastes, this could endanger the future water
quality of several of the region's lakes, including
Berry pond, Maranacook Lake, Cochnewagon Lake, Torsey
Lake and Upper Narrows Pond.
Excessive phosphorus runoff of animal manures is pri-
marily the result of inadequate winter manure storage and
disposal practices. in the past, farmers stored manure
in pits beneath their barns, accessible through a system
of wooden trap doors. Health regulations, however, were
implemented which prohibited this practice and forced the
farmers to remove the manure from their barns and store
or dispose of it elsewhere. in most cases, to adequately
handle manure in the winter, a storage facility is needed
as shown in Figure 2. However, costs of a winter manure
storage facility today range from $8,000 to $25,000. A
maximum of $2,500 is allowable for 75%-25% Federal match-
ing grant assistance under the Agricultural Conservation
Program from the Agricultural Stabilization and Conserva-
tion Service (ASCS) of the u. S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA). Because dairy farmers do not control the price of
their product they cannot pass these costs on to the con-
sumer and therefore cannot afford to build a storage
facility without grant assistance. As a result, they
have been forced to spread or pile the manure on frozen
fields. This is an appropriate practice only if slopes
do not exceed 3%, a highly uncommon situation in this reg-
ion. The result - runoff of much of the manure during
snowmelt and spring runoff.
Other 208 reports which detail the impacts of manure
runoff on lakes, and which discuss the present and future
extent of agricultural operations, include:
Non-Point Source pollution (March 1976)
Non-Point Sources of Pollution to Lakes (April 1977)
-29-
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Figure 2
Earthen Lagoon for Storage of Liquid Manure
comm
Pao ,
Concrete Storage Pit for Solid Manure

stricted downspouts