The Demonstration Project, for which our members worked so diligently these past few years, is over. The results of their labors, however, are available to view and study for the next 5 years. That was the reason for all our fund-raising and matching hours…so people would learn how to buffer, stabilize shorelines, divert water from eroding roads, install rock-lined pools and culverts, crown and pave roads properly.

Part of our commitment to this project was a financial match, $5000. A portion of these funds was donated to each and every project, from $250-$2500, depending upon the scope and size of each. In turn, property owners had to match that amount either in cash or in-kind-services. In all, ten projects were completed with funds provided by the grant and TLIA.

The properties to visit and emulate, or just get kick-start the creative processes are:

1. Public Beach. Stabilization of pathways; planting of vegetative material to enlarge and enhance buffer and to demonstrate appropriate hardy materials; installation of boulders to prevent parking on the beach; installation of diversions to direct road runoff to vegetative buffers. This was all done by volunteers using a design provided by Kay Nickel, NRCS, and supervised by AVSWCD. Poland HS students enlarged the planted areas and replaced damaged material during a work day with Americorps volunteer Susan Redmond coordinating the project.
2. North Raymond Rd., below Megquier Hill intersection (by Town of Poland). Settling basins were constructed at culvert inlets and outlets in two areas, some lined with stone; ditch side walls were stabilized with stone where a spring seeps causing the walls to slump; remaining side walls were seeded and mulched.
3. Francis and Joan Mooney’s, 36 Marjorie Lane. Shoreline stabilization to prevent undercutting of the banking and loss of existing trees and bushes and to provide a stable access to the water. Coarse gravel added, stone hand-placed on a slope, bare soil stabilized with seed and mulch.
4. Richard and Paula Smith’s, 35 Garland Swamp Road. Small practices and vegetated buffer: rubber razor bar installed to divert road runoff and sediments to a sediment basin to prevent erosion of driveway and lawn. Retaining wall constructed at edge of property to prevent erosion of road shoulder and delivery of sediment to downslope areas. Vegetation added below retaining wall and other areas.
5. Lower Fernald Rd. Approximately 1800’ of camp road was shaped and crowned; installed broad-based drainage ditches, reseeded turnouts, lined 100’ of road with rock/gravel, seeded and mulched bare soil; tree and shrubs cut back to enable daylight to the area for improved winter maintenance. Improvements on Lower Fernald with those on Upper Fernald prevent an estimated 40.3 tons of soil from reaching Tripp Lake on an annual basis.
6. Upper Fernald Rd. Lined a 600’ ditch with stone, repaired a turnout, regraded and reshaped road surface, seeded and mulched bare soil.
7. Fred and Peter Beaudry property, Megquier Hill Rd. Stabilized logging access road with installation of rock-lined inlet pool; installed culvert, constructed rock apron at culvert outlet, seeded and mulched bare soil. This project prevented movement of disturbed soils downslope to a stream feeding the lake.
8. Peter and Carol Quinn’s, Garland Swamp Rd. A combination of rock-lined drip edges, addition of a stable shoreline access, mulching of bare soil near house, adding plant material on steep slopes.
9. Janet Tillson’s, 192 Jordan Shore Dr. Stabilized eroding driveway with crushed stone, redirected downspout to a stone-lined trench; Installed plant material on top of lakeside hill, crushed stone installed on eroding road shoulder for parking/winter dock storage, mulched remaining bare soil.
10. Wendell and Gerri Tinkham’s, 200 Jordan Shore Dr. Stabilized bare soil near their camp with crushed stone and paving stone. Cleaned and reseeded road ditch; lakefront slope terraced with boulders, timbers and planted with shrubs, herbaceous plants and groundcover. Access to water limited by plant material on a second area of the slope.

In all, 43 technical assistance visits were made from the summer of ‘98 through the summer of 2000. The project achieved the goal of raising public awareness about nonpoint source pollution threats to Tripp Lake and helped reinforce our mission to act as stewards of the lake and its watershed. There is much work yet to be done on private properties, densely developed areas, public roads and camp roads.

We thank the Town of Poland for their on-going support of water quality projects and their assistance and participation in grant activities in the watershed.