Was this a nice summer to be at the lake, or what! But, where did it go? Certainly sun lovers have no complaints about the day after day of fair skies even if lake levels fell to a discouraging low. More about that in an associated article in this newsletter.

It has been a busy summer for those involved in the BPA, starting with the Buffer Plant project over the Memorial Day weekend in late May. Shrubs, trees and ground cover were provided, free of charge, to home and cottage owners with shore frontage on Branch Pond. This program was made possible by a Source Water Protection grant from the Maine Department of Human Services. A similar grant application has been submitted for the 1999-2000 season and it is hoped that additional buffer plantings will be available for distribution next spring.

The results of the Branch Pond Watershed Survey, which was commissioned by the BPA in 1998, were published. It identified 154 problem sites within the 23.4 sq. mile watershed which were experiencing erosion problems. Anne Hayes and her "Watershed Follow up Committee" have actively pursued remedies to some of these sites and continue to follow up on others. She and her committee have been very active in implementing actions made possible by the 319 grant from the DEP.

At its annual meeting, the BPA established a grant program to offer matching funds financial assistance to road associations and/or individuals in efforts to correct additional problem areas. This program has been augmented by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service with additional matching grant funds for which we are grateful and which are making several important corrections possible.

The Ellsworth city council has been approached suggesting that they set up a "Matching Funds Grant Program" to further ongoing actions by road associations and other interested parties, which are designed to protect the quality of the city's drinking water source. At the time of this report, no response has been received, however, it is hoped that the council will recognize the value of this proposal and take positive actions. It is important to note that the city has taken positive actions in correcting several problem areas along Winkumpaugh Road, which were identified in the Watershed Survey as sources of pollutants to the lake.

All in all, this has been an active, and I feel a productive year for the BPA. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers, the executive committee, and those chairing specific committees such as the Follow Up Committee and the Newsletter Committee for all of their efforts that have made these positive results possible. At the same time, I would encourage those of you sharing our interest in keeping the quality of the lake at its highest possible level, to get involved by devoting a few hours to one or more of the remedial projects. To do so contact your road representative, Anne Hayes, Len Harlow or myself.

In the meantime, have a great winter and stay warm.

Those people who have for some time obtained their drinking water from the spring off Cove Way near the junction of Jones Point Way can breathe easier now that tests have shown that a water sample from the spring showed only .01 2 milligrams per liter of contaminant compared to the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of .050.

The water sample test was sought following reports that several drilled wells on the east shore of Branch Lake showed levels of arsenic exceeding the MCL. The water sample from the spring was sent to the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory September 23.

Kits for testing drinking water sources are available at the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District office at 190 Bangor Road, Ellsworth (across from the transfer station).

At its annual meeting in July the Branch Pond Association voted to fund a grant program up to $500 with a 60/40 participation from owners. Funds will be granted to road associations and/or individuals for the improvement of anti-pollution measures.

The amount of BPA funds to be spent in this program will be limited to a total of $2,000. Members were advised by John Jemison, water quality specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Maine, that he had some funds available that could be added to the BPA grant funds on a per project basis.

In other business members voted into office several new road representatives including Fred and Jane Jagels, Hanson’s Landing Area, Glen and Bev Curtis, Cove Way, and Fran Mitchell and Irene Force, Bor Way.

Guest speaker Jemison spoke at length on the need for buffers of various types to protect the water quality of the lake. He stressed small, inexpensive projects such as buffer zones, buffer plantings, curved walkways and water diverting strips in paths and driveways as very effective ways to help the lake. He advised members not to use lawn fertilizers which contained phosphorous.

Jemison told the group that the State Department of Transportation has $600,000 to help road associations on private roads with large projects. He observed that Laura Wilson's efforts on behalf of BPA has resulted in a grant of $5600 for Branch Lake with the monies to be used for recruiting and projects.

Ron Joseph, a biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game, talked about loons and other migratory birds. He has been involved in studies of mercury poisoning in loons and feels that the mercury is coming to Maine on air currents from the mid-West. Joseph also feels the bird population is declining because of deforestation.

The water quality report noted that the lake clarity is currently measured at 10:54 meters; the fisheries report showed that brown trout are in good supply and that 1350 salmon were stocked in the lake in the spring of 1999.

New requirements for the city's building codes, forced by –changes in the Shoreland Zoning (camp expansions), were made available to those interested.

The treasurer's report showed a balance on hand of $9,621.65.

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It was a case of either too much wind or no wind at all and thus the 1999 summer racing schedule at Branch Lake came down to a single event. Race officials scheduled an extra day of racing and the winners were the season's champions. They turned out to be Ralph Whedon in the multi-hull class and Glen Curtis in the single hull class.

Despite the uncooperative weather for sailing, the after race social events went off as scheduled. The award party was hosted by Van and Susan Terrell.

Next year the starting time for races will be changed to 2:30 p.m. each Sunday, according to Commodore Paul Wight.

One event that the weather didn't stop was the annual boat parade, which capped off Lake Week at Branch. Prizes for the best-decorated boats went to Matthew Robbins and Elizabeth Tilden, first place; Kathleen Perry, second place; and the St. Cyr boat, third prize.

Concerns about the condition of the dam at Branch Lake were voiced at the July meeting of the Branch Pond Association. At that time the water level was only 5'3" compared to the usual 6'8" or 6'lff'. Despite the low water level the dam was closed in April.

Continuing leakage at the dam has occasioned the most concern. Sand bagging was not considered an answer by the Ellsworth city engineer. Another suggestion made was to add more boarding. The concerns and suggestions were to be brought to the attention of city officials by Brett Johnston.

Timetable for a large repair project at the dam will be 2002 before designs, city approval and all permits are in place and construction can begin. With the rains from Hurricane Floyd and subsequent storm systems the water level recovered and as of October 8 was measured at 5'7".

It will be drawn down to and maintained at five feet during the winter in response to fish biologists' recommendations to protect the fail fish spawning activities.

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The initial loon count on Branch Lake this spring showed 14 adults and four chicks. That number has been decreased following the death of two adult loons during the summer and fall months. The culprit? Probably lead poisoning caused by the ingestion of lead fishing sinkers, according to laboratory tests.

An adult female captured by Larry Blethen in front of his camp died after being taken to the Acadia Wildlife Foundation. It was then sent to Tufts University Wildlife Clinic in Massachusetts for examination and the report confirmed that death was caused by lead poisoning.

Another adult loon washed ashore near the camp of John Wilson who turned the dead loon over to Game Warden Jeff Lewis, who also sent it to Tufts University for testing. Although final test results are not available it is felt that lead poisoning was also the cause of this loon's demise.

At this writing the male and female with two chicks seen cavorting around the lake most of the summer have escaped the fate of the other two.

For the past 10 years the Maine Audubon, Society has been collecting dead loons and sending them to Tufts for testing and more than half of those examined showed lead poisoning as the cause of death. As a result Governor Angus King has signed a bill into law banning lead sinkers that weigh half an ounce or less. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2002. Alternatives to lead sinkers--made of steel, tin, ceramics and bismuth--are already available at a number of retail outlets in Maine.

A joint program of the Inland Fish and Game Department and the Audubon Society is providing replacements for the lead sinkers used in the Department's "Hooked on Fishing" kits. Anyone interested in getting involved with the program may contact Susan Hitchcox and Maine Audubon, tel. 781-2330, extension 216.

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As the hurricane rains put an end to the drought of '99, it was gratifying to know that the lake was not being damaged by as much soil erosion as in the past. The proactive efforts of our trained Watershed Stewards and their many new allies, including the Road Commissioners from all the associations around the lake, and the City of Ellsworth, have reduced phosphorus loading from many of the sites identified in the Watershed Survey last year. Grant funds have been used to augment road association budgets in many cases.

Three of the demonstration sites covered under the $26,000 DEP "319" grant are near completion, and design work is finished on two others. The City of Ellsworth undertook the remediation work at Rocky Pond Stream on the Happytown Road, and at John Gray Brook on the Winkumpaugh Road. They are installing the culverts, ditches and turnouts called for in the grant proposal, in addition to their new bridge and other scheduled maintenance. This allowed us to reallocate grant funds to two other sites.

On a steep section of Phillips' Way, two larger culverts and rock-lined ditches were installed to direct storm water from a large watershed into woodland buffers. Landowners and volunteers collaborated to stabilize the ditches, turnouts, and berms with conservation seed mix and mulch. Crowning of the road will finish the job.

Engineering work has been completed for two other demonstration sites with substantial watersheds, one on Cove Way and another on Sargent Drive. One very large arch-shaped culvert is proposed for the Cove Way location and is scheduled to be installed in November, weather permitting. The Sargent Drive site will probably require a wooden bridge to handle the water. Budgets and schedules are in progress.

For additional funding sources, the committee identified the MDOT Surface Water Quality Protection Program and submitted two sites along Route IA for consideration. These were locations cited in the Watershed Survey. If accepted, the work will be scheduled in a year. Ten projects submitted by three individuals and five road associations were also given funding through a University of Maine Cooperative Extension grant administered by John Jemison, one of the speakers at the BPA annual meeting.

If you have donated time or materials to any of the projects being funded by grants, remember to submit an accounting of those contributions to the grant administrator. This is a critical part of the grant-renewal process. Congratulating yourselves is a critical part of the volunteer-renewal process, so indulge yourselves, and have a great winter!

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New requirements for Ellsworth's building codes pertaining to camp expansions are of particular interest to Branch Lake residents and are outlined below.

NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES

Expansions: A non-conforming structure may be added to or expanded after obtaining a permit from the same permitting authority as that for a new structure, if such addition or expansion does not increase the non-conformity of the structure.

Legally existing non-conforming principal and accessory structures that do not meet the water body or wetland setback requirements may be expanded or altered as follows, as long as all other applicable standards contained in the ordinance are met:

1. Expansion of any portion of a structure within 25 feet of the normal high water line of a water body or upland edge of a wetland is prohibited, even if the expansion will not increase non-conformity with the water body or wetland setback requirement.
2. Expansion of an accessory structure that is located closer to the normal high water line of a water body or upland edge of a wetland than the principal structure is prohibited, even if the expansion will not increase non-conformity with the water body or wetland setback requirement.
3. For structures located less than 75 feet from the normal high-water line of water body or upland edge of a wetland, the maximum combined total floor area for all structures is 1,000 square feet and the maximum height of any structure is 20 feet or the height of the existing structure, whichever is greater.
4. For structures located less than 100 feet from the normal high-water line of a great pond classified as GPA or a river flowing to a great pond classified as GPA, the maximum combined total floor area for all structures is 1,500 square feet, and the maximum height of any structure is 25 feet or the height of the existing structure, whichever is greater, except that any portion of those structures located less than 75 feet from the normal high-water line or upland edge of a wetland must meet the floor area and height limits of division (c).

Editor's Note: The following material was taken from information compiled by Scott Williams, Executive Director, Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program.

Eurasian water milfoil, a native plant of Europe and Asia, is a serious threat to lakes and ponds throughout the United States. This species of water milfoil is found in nearby Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and the Canadian Provinces. Once introduced into a lake it is virtually impossible to eradicate. The introduction of one single fragment can result in the infestation of an entire lake.

The potential threat became very real last summer when residents of Cushman Pond in Lovell reported seeing an unusual plant growing very rapidly in the lake in 1996. It was identified as Milfoil family after it flowered in 1997. Although native to North America, this species can be invasive in New England Lakes where it has not grown in the past. While not as aggressive as Eurasian milfoil, it is nonetheless capable of causing many of the same problems. The Cushman Pond plant was most probably transported from a nearby New Hampshire lake. It may have been introduced by a boat or by fishing bait traps.

Because the plant was discovered before it spread extensively, an attempt was made to eradicate it from the lake. It will not be known until this summer whether or not the efforts have been effective in eliminating this plant from the lake.

It's not the idea of a lakeside strip, but how that airstrip is being treated that bothers residents of Branch Lake and officials of the Branch Pond Association.

In fact, the clearing of some 6.5 acres of land bordering the Winkumpaugh Road at the north end of the lake by Frederick "Lynn" French of Crawford, Colorado, so concerned lake residents that they complained to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

That agency found that French had violated state shoreland zoning and storm water management regulations by clearing more than six acres and by clear-cutting property less than 200 feet from the shoreline. No permits from the agency were obtained by French before clear-cutting the area.

The DEP has ordered French to begin erosion control measures on the property to prevent siltation into the lake, which serves as Ellsworth's water supply.

Ryan Annis, environmental specialist in the DEP's Bureau of Land and Water Quality, has told concerned residents that it's now a matter of controlling the runoff from the site through buffer or phosphorus control methods.

Dick Jones, president of the Branch Pond Association which has commissioned a water quality study of the lake, noted that the association has been active in educating residents about erosion control methods and "French's actions are not in line with those efforts."

Jones added that although Branch Lake ranks pretty well in water quality, there is evidence of increased aquatic vegetation, especially at the north end near the Winkumpaugh Road.

The gradual erosion of the gravel Winkumpaugh Road is a great concern and which Ellsworth has started addressing through road maintenance, Jones added.

Two special projects for the coming year were outlined for association members at the annual meeting by road surveyor Larry Blethen. They included a cut into the woods across from the entrance to the Blethen driveway and another across from the entrance to Tannery Brook Way. A second culvert will be installed between the Dodge and Furrough camps with rock ends added to prevent gravel erosion. Grant funds will be used for this work with matching funds coming from the association, either as money, labor or materials.

Officers elected were Bud Lee, president; Elaine Blethen, clerk; Helen Whitman, treasurer; Larry Blethen, road commissioner; Glen Curtis, Bill Fraser, Dale Henderson, Phil Jones, Philip Limebumer, John Wells and Dana Whitman, directors.

Some discussion was held regarding snow plowing on Cove Way. Currently Ellsworth plows from route IA to the old pit and from Branch Pond Road to the mailboxes at Jones Point Way. Residents have plowed the road from the pit to the mailboxes. It is doubtful that the city would reconsider its stance on plowing this portion it was pointed out but officers and directors plan to discuss the matter further.

In other action the membership approved keeping the annual assessment at $100; increased the number of directors from five to seven; and adopted the new name of Cove Way Association.

North Branchview Drive

The road membership, with approval of the directors, decided at the annual meeting to resurface the road with the recommended type gravel and with the use of calcium chloride to stabilize the road and eliminate the dust. The most needed areas will be done first and then starting at the comer go as far as funding permits. The city has agreed to help with the grading prior to adding the new surface.

It was also voted to request the City of Ellsworth to plow the road each time that Branchview Drive is plowed. Several owners visit their camps much of the winter and feel that a plowed road would help in providing police and fire access in the event of emergencies. The problem of speeding on the road was discussed and it was decided to post hand painted signs to make them more effective. Ralph Whedon volunteered to provide posts for a uniform sign with camp owners names attached at the comer of the road.

After more than 60 years as a public landing for the launching and retrieval of boats, Hanson's Landing on the north side of Branch Lake has been closed to the public as of October 1, 1999. And chances of its being reopened in any form for public use are very slim, according to Bill Tuite, who maintains a home near the site.

The closing of the landing came about following the sale of five camps to individual owners who will all share the use of the surrounding lakeside property. The new owners have formed an association for the oversight of the common use property, according to Tuite.

Previously, the cottages at the landing were rented and the landing was available for public access to the lake.