The Stanley Brook watershed survey report

Mount Desert Island Water Quality Coalition

Following from Executive Summary: 'The MDI Water Quality Coalition conducted a unique watershed survey in the Stanley Brook Watershed between June and October 2005. The goals of the watershed survey included identifying pollution sources impacting habitat integrity in Stanley Brook and locating pollution sources contributing to high bacteria levels at Seal Harbor Beach. The survey combined the best features of a sanitary shoreline survey, used most often to detect pollution soruces inpacting shellfish growing areas, and a watershed survey, used most often to identify the types of pollutants that are running off the land into a particular body of water. By combining these approaches, we have identified sources of pollution and defined the types of pollutants that are impacting water quality in the Stanley Brook watershed. We surveyed 210 properties in the village of Seal Harbor and in Acadia National Park. Of these, 52 had obvious pollution sources such as drains, ditches, broken sewer lines, eroding or chemically treated lawns, or compost piles situated in proximity to the brook. A total of 71 pollution sources on these 52 properties were identified. These were ranked as major, moderate, or minor in their impact on watershed quality based on three criteria: the area over which the pollutant was distributed, the potential for pollutants to be carried off site, and the size of the vegetative buffer between the pollution source and the brook or beach. Pollutant types included bacteria, nutrient, sediment, toxic, or thermal pollution or a combination of these types. As a result of this survey, recommendations are made to mitigate pollution. These recommendations are for individual property owners, neighborhood groups, the town of Mount Desert, local contractors and developers, and Acadia National Park. These include re-directing runoff, preventing erosion, moving compost piles, limiting fertilizer and pesticide use, repairing private sewer lines, installing and maintaining silt fences at construction sites, and implementing Best Management Practices throughout the Stanley Brook watershed' Research Recommendations: on page 23-25, summarize what residents can do, what neighbors can do, what the town can do, what developers can do, and what ANP can do (Maintain roadways near Stanley Brook and minimize areas where cars can pull over near Stanley Brook; continue best management practices at Wildwood Stables; reachout and offer resources to residents, neighborhood associations, and town officials to help initiate mitigation and restoration projects; offer technical guidance and expertise to community members involved in water quality studies, stream and coastal clean-ups, habitat restoration, and storm water mitigation. /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/Stanley Brook