Dear Pleasant Pond Property Owners,

As we transition into the fall, the Pleasant Pond Conservancy (PPC) is reflecting on another great summer and strides that we’ve made to monitor and protect our pond. We are reaching out to introduce the PPC and ask for your support.

Two PPC volunteers test for water clarity approximately every 2 weeks throughout the summer. Comprehensive testing was last done by DEP in 2020. Unfortunately, due to staffing, DEP can’t test our pond again until 2028. Therefore, we contracted with the Lake Stewards of Maine this past August and paid $1,105.45 for comprehensive testing. The Comprehensive Testing Report stressed that ongoing monitoring of lake conditions is critical to identify emerging threats. Lake water quality can shift abruptly and early warnings guide management decisions before degradation becomes a significant and costly problem. A summary of the test results is included in this letter and the full report can be found on our website https://www.pleasantpond.me and will be uploaded on the state’s DEP site. Reasons for comprehensive testing are outlined on pages 2-3.

PPC is seeking funds for equipment so that we can perform comprehensive testing autonomously like many other lake associations in Maine. PPC attended the town meeting on 10/6/25 and asked for $3,300 to purchase the equipment. Currently, the Pond Conservation Reserve (Article 35) has $8K which used to be used for testing. However, this request was not granted because town selectman stated that the funds are now allocated for fixing issues identified and not for testing and prevention. They concluded that the PPC will need to attend the public town meeting next spring and ask for the funds from the Pond Conservation Reserve to be reappropriated.

The PPC has determined that we need a more robust financial base to ensure our ability to manage ongoing lake monitoring and future conservation efforts. Therefore, The PPC is asking each property owner to contribute $50 annually (July 2025-June 2026). This will help with the costs of comprehensive testing, activities, communication, education and more. Checks can be made to Pleasant Pond Conservancy and mailed to the treasurer. Please provide your email address too:

Doug Adams
70 McLaughlin Drive
Turner, ME. 04282

Alternatively, you can pay via Venmo:

https://www.venmo.com/u/Douglas-AdamsCFO

PPC would like to thank the following property owners for already paying dues –

Bruce and Rachel Choate
Gilbert Twitchell
Mike and Stephanie Pratt
Jeff and Barbara Perry
Cliff and Sue McLaughlin
Kendall and Tisha Bremnar
Jean Gilbert Family Camp
Doug Adams
Ann Fairchild

Rationale for Comprehensive Water Quality Testing to Monitor for:

  1. Oxygenation levels . Assessing oxygenation levels indicates of overall lake health. Monitoring trend data can identify degradation of water quality.
  2. Phosphorus and nitrogen . The presence of these elements are signs of a changing ecosystem and increased levels can create conditions that fuel algae blooms. Ground water run-off from nearby lawns that use fertilizers containing phosphorus or nitrogen, as well as drainage from roads or development easily wash into the lake during rain and can accelerate algae growth. This reduces oxygen that fish need to survive and can turn clear lakes murky and potentially toxic.
  3. Invasive species . Invasive species, (such as milfoil and zebra snails), can degrade lake health by disrupting native ecosystems. These invaders outcompete and destroy native plants, creating dense mats that reduce oxygen levels and alter nutrient cycling. This can lead to fish die-offs and loss of recreational opportunities due to poor water quality.

Benefits of Comprehensive Testing:

  1. Keep people and pets safe by signaling the need for additional testing to detect the presence of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, cyanobacteria, and algal toxins that can cause illness.
  2. Ensure safe water for homes, camps and others that draw water directly from the lake or nearby wells connected to the same watershed.
  3. Protect access to safe recreation such as fishing and boating for our community. Pleasant Pond has the only public ramp for motorized boats in the town for community members and is a source of fresh water for some local organizations.
  4. Clean lakes are major economic drivers for tourism, recreation, fishing, and real estate.
  5. Early detection of problems is economically smart. Monitoring for factors that signal the start of ecosystem changes can allow for early intervention before the changes become visible or irreversible. Early action is far cheaper than trying to reverse advanced water quality decline. Once a lake turns green with algae, cleanup can cost tens of thousands of dollars per year and is often only partially successful.
  6. Annual water testing enables tracking of long-term trends. Changes in our climate and additional shoreline development are increasing runoff, warming the water, and contributing to increased storm intensity. Trending data helps with communicating lake status overtime to our stakeholders (town and state), helps with applying for state or federal grants (DEP, Maine Lakes Society, EPA) and helps the town make informed decisions on land use and zoning.

2025 Informal Review of our Pond’s Aquatic Plants:
Barbara Boothy-Perry, Invasive Plant Pond Patrol Volunteer:

Many of us have noticed an increase in the number and type of aquatic plants in the lake over the last several years. However, nothing has been identified as “invasive” yet. This is based on anecdotal evidence and an unofficial survey that Rachel Choate and I did in early August 2025 around the northern half of the lake. Later, I did a survey of the southern end, where there are far fewer plants.

Typical plants that we have had on the pond for decades continue to exist, but appear to have increased all around the pond, especially these two:

1. Pickerel weed (elongated, heart shaped large leaves in a clump with a purple spiked flower)
2. Pipewort (a single stem with a single “button” on top, sticking up from the surface, and rooted to a submersed rosette of leaves on the lake bottom.)

In the shallower waters on the north end, (but fewer along the east and west sides of the north end) there are still plenty of:
3. White flowered W ater lily
4. Compact yellow flowered Lily (which are called Spatterdock)

A couple plants that seem to be especially multiplying on the north end are:
5. Watershield (small elliptical, floating leaf with a long reddish stem and if you pull it up, it has a jelly-like substance on the stem).
6. Arrowhead (similar looking to pickerel weed, but has a very distinct arrow- shaped leaf and 3 -petaled white flowers.) It has been seen mostly on the north and east sides of the lake in very shallow water.

There are a few plants that I was not familiar with but have noticed in the last couple of years:
7. Ribbon-leaf pondweed (submersed long and thin leaves with a sparsely arranged stem rising to the surface with floating elliptical leaves on the surface with a pointed seed stem). This plant can grow in dense clumps and has established itself in many places where it had not been seen before, such as on The Point (the large sandbar). It typically grows in water that is 2 – 6 feet deep.
8. Bur-reed (leaves are elongated, ribbon-like and have little nutlets arranged in burr-like spheres). I have only seen these on the north and east end of the lake.

A troublesome plant that was identified by LSM 2 years ago is:
9. Water Horsetail (sometimes called Mare’s Tail). I took in a sample to have it confirmed. It is not invasive, but is aggressive and difficult to eradicate. It started up on the northeast corner of the pond (to the right of the old Great Outdoors – if you are looking at it from a boat) – as I understand it from others. It has been spreading down the northeastern shore in the shallow water.
10. I found several unfamiliar aquatic plants in late August and submitted samples to Lake Stewards of Maine. They turned out to be all native plants and there was no concern. The plants identified were: Floating bladderwort (Utricularia radiata), Stonewort (Nitella spp.), Spiral-fruited pondweed (Potamogeton spirillus), and Berchtold’s slender pondweed (Potamogeton berchtoldii) .

The water level is well over a foot below normal and this increases the likelihood of aquatic plants (more shallow water to grow in). I am happy to consult and assist if anyone finds a plant they are concerned about. Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM) has advised us to take samples of plants that we are concerned about and submit them for identification. LSM reports that it is important to A.) clearly identify where you found it and B.) be sure to get the whole plant and not to break off portions of it, as that is a prime way to spread the plant.

If we have plants that are not considered invasive but are just unwanted, LSM recommends we just leave the plants, as they are good for filtering the lake and eating bad bacteria like cyanobacteria. They do not recommend removal, as it can cause little particles of the plant break off and spread.

Your Support Matters! Whether you’re volunteering, observe something new or concerning and speak up, or simply spreading the word, you are helping protect our pond. Stay informed, visit https://www.pleasantpond.me and join Pleasant Pond Pastimes Facebook group.

Thank you in advance for your support and investing in our pond. Have a safe and healthy fall, winter and spring!

Respectively submitted,
Stephanie Pratt, President and the PPC Officers and Steering Committee

Pleasant Pond Water Quality Testing and Recommendations Summary

Since the last comprehensive test on file with the State was from 2020, on August 19, 2025 we contracted with Tristan Taber from the Lake Stewards of Maine to conduct a comprehensive series of water quality tests to give us a baseline of the condition of the Pond. Below is a summary of the latest test results and his recommendations.

  • The average lake depth on Pleasant is fairly shallow for “deep” Maine lakes. In spite of this, the Secchi readings (water clarity) are quite good, achieving an annual average transparency between 4.3 and 7.3 meters.
  • The DO (Dissolved Oxygen) and temperature readings show there is evidence of a strengthening of stratification observable. The observed change over time in temperature is likely driven by climate change.
  • Total phosphorus (TP) trends have been decreasing or staying level. At present, Pleasant Pond does not appear highly threatened. TP readings in Pleasant indicate fairly consistent values over time. These values fall within typical ranges for similar lakes in Maine.
  • Color (a measure of dissolved organic content (DOC) is relatively low in Pleasant Pond with an average of 10. Our historical readings have ranged from 5 to 20 out of a possible 40.
  • Chlorophyll-α readings paired with surface TP readings and Secchi disk transparency would indicate that Pleasant Pond is improving in water quality over time. Based on the results of the sample outing in 2025, all readings were within a safe and expected threshold. Chlorophyll-α values are good, and much better than the lake’s average, of which we discussed above.

The following recommendations are based on data gathered by Tristan Taber and are the baseline for funding support the Association is seeking from the Town of Turner.

1. Minimize runoff into the lake.

In Maine, lake associations play a critical role in maintaining the health of freshwater ecosystems by focusing on tangible, science-based practices. Among the most important of these is minimizing runoff from surrounding land into the lake.

Based on the data and satellite imagery, it would appear the lake association and lake shore members have been performing this level of stewardship for the lake, though it is always possible to expand and mitigate more of the polluted stormwater runoff that is making its way into the lake.

2. Ensure that buffer vegetation is present and thriving along the shoreline.

Equally essential is ensuring that buffer vegetation is present and thriving along the shoreline.

Based on the data, unfortunately, it is not clear if Pleasant Pond Association has been performing this level of stewardship for the lake, but the threat of nearshore development and development in the watershed is a concern. When onsite, some properties were clearly visible with grass or artificial shorelines running down to the water’s edge. This is an area where Taber would recommend ensuring good stewardship practices.

3. Ensure that the lake community’s septic systems are capturing nutrients.

Because of the type of soil in the lake region, it is critical that the lake community ensures septic systems are capturing nutrients. Septic systems need to be set back from the water, not constructed in sandy or other highly mineral or porous soils.

4. Remain vigilant about invasive species.

It is important for the lake association to remain vigilant about harmful (blue-green algae) blooms. If blooms (or significant increases in free-floating algae) are witnessed please provide samples to Tristan Taber at Lake Stewards of Maine. They can be an important warning sign of a degrading lake. We provided over 20 samples of vegetation to Tristan during his visit, and all lab reports showed no invasive species.

5. Conduct ongoing monitoring of lake conditions to provide data needed to assess trends, identify emerging threats, and guide management decisions.

Equally important to mitigation efforts is the ongoing monitoring of lake conditions, which provides the data needed to assess trends, identify emerging threats, and guide management decisions. Regular monitoring of water clarity, degradation before they become major problems. This science-based approach allows for timely interventions and supports long-term stewardship by tracking the effectiveness of conservation practices such as buffers and runoff control. Monitoring not only informs action but also empowers communities with a deeper understanding of their lake’s health, fostering stronger commitment to its protection.

Based on the data, it would appear that this is the most critical area for understanding what is happening on the lake. At present, the lake is in good health, but that can shift fairly abruptly and early warning through dedicated monitors trained in both Secchi disk transparency and dissolved oxygen and temperature meter usage is critical for the high frequency that we need.

Respectively submitted,
Bill Adams, Water Quality Volunteer