The Snow is Melting

I have a few images of Quimby Brook. The brook is "running high" and just look at how clear the water is in this first photo! This one is taken while looking downstream from Quimby Pond Road. The photos (below) are upstream shots. One appears to be later in the spring, with a lot of green, and the other has snow. All photos were taken yesterday.

Although many Maine lakes have had an early "ice out", Quimby is not even near that stage. People are still able to walk on the ice without any fear of falling in. The recent cold weather has firmed up the ice. If we have an early "ice out", it means that the pond is likely to become warmer this summer. The warm water temperature is likely to contribute to an algal bloom.

I had mentioned in an earlier post that the deer become more bold during the spring. Perhaps they are hungry, but they pose nicely.

Friends of Quimby Pond

We had a great meeting on Friday night. Gerry Smith visited and spoke with us. He is the president of Aquatic Control Technologies, a company which does remediation treatments such as alum treatments and invasive plant harvesting. Most of his work is done in Massachusetts, where his company is located, but he also does contract work for the Maine DEP.

His thoughts were that we do not need his company to do any treatments or aeration. This was especially comforting to me, because even though he would benefit financially by doing "something", he still thinks it's not necessary.

His thoughts concur with the DEP in that he recommends evaluation and changes in the watershed to restrict phosphorus input into Quimby Pond. The steering committee has heard this previously from the DEP and we really need to be vigilant about our roads, driveways, lawns, not feeding the waterfowl, and not fertilizing! It helps to get this reinforced, especially because we are starting the written survey portion of the watershed survey. I'm hoping that most all of you return the surveys and allow access. This is imperative to the "health" of the pond.

I will look out at the moon over Quimby Pond. When it's night-time and the moon is full, it reminds me of "Twas the Night before Christmas" lines, " The moon on the crest of the new-fallen snow, gave luster of mid-day to objects below." Speaking of Christmas, some of the folks around Quimby Pond will leave Christmas lights on their trees all winter. It continues the festive air throughout the winter season.

This one is a UFO. Actually it's a small balsam fir with white lights and covered with snow.

And this one is another small tree with Christmas lights.

And now back to spring and summer.

Dave Boucher, the regional fish biologist with the Maine Inland Game and Fisheries, did a study on Quimby Pond last fall. He released the results last week and here is a summary of those results.

Summary and recommendations:

Quimby Pond has been the source of several recent complaints pertaining to slow catch rates, heavy parasite load (trematode blackspot), excessive predation by fall-flocking loons, and declining water quality. Stocking rates were reduced in 2005 from 3000 to 2000 fall fingerlings in an effort to reduce parasite loading. Algal blooms have occurred with increasing frequency, and the volume of “Wilbur Spring” appears to have declined coincidentally with increased watershed development. A new Lake Association was formed in late 2009 to address nonpoint sources of phosphorous.

This pond receives heavy use, but release rates are very high; 90-100% as reported by voluntary book anglers.

Wild trout comprised 58% of the trapnet sample, with ages 0+ to V+ present. High ratio of wild trout was probably related to favorable water temperatures and flows since 2005. Growth of wild and hatchery fish were above average for the region, but body condition was marginal for most cohorts. All trout, including young-of-year, were heavily parasitized with blackspot; there was no evidence that reduced stocking rates lowered the incidence of this parasite. Trout density estimates were low/moderate compared with other ponds of similar size and trout origin.

The smelt population appeared robust and they’re likely trout predators and competitors. Mallard ducks very abundant and tame.

Preliminary recommendations:

1. Maintain fall fingerling stocking rate at 2-3000 Kennebago-strain fish annually, but consider switching to spring yearlings to mitigate predation by fall loon flocks.
2. Maintain present fishing regulations (high release rates indicate fishing mortality does not significantly structure this population).
3. Continue to work with MDEP, RLHT, and Lake Association to address water quality issues.
4. Repeat trapnet survey in 5 years, or sooner if significant management changes are made.