Branch Lake Watershed-Based Protection Plan
Ellsworth, Maine – A Watershed-Based Protection Plan outlines strategies for protecting water quality for recreation and the public drinking water supply at Branch Lake.
After developing the Branch Lake Watershed Survey Report in 2021, Ecological Instincts was contracted by the Branch Lake Association (BLA) to develop a Watershed-Based Protection Plan (WBPP) to help guide protection of the lake’s high quality water. Branch Lake is listed as “Threatened” on Maine DEP’s Nonpoint Source (NPS) Priority Watersheds List because it is a public water supply. The watershed also includes upstream Harriman Pond, another “Threatened” lake that is sensitive to development in its watershed. Branch Lake serves as the public water supply for the City of Ellsworth, servicing approximately 3,300 residential users along with local businesses.
The Branch Lake watershed is largely undeveloped, and the City of Ellsworth already owns and protects significant areas of land in the watershed. However, shoreline development is fairly extensive, especially in the north basin. The 2021 watershed survey documented 184 erosion sites that could be contributing to NPS pollution from the watershed. The WBPP recommends installing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on 55 road sites (including 37 sites on private gravel roads), 50 sites on residential properties, 10 driveway sites, and 2 municipal/public sites over the course of the 10-year plan in order to reduce phosphorus loading to Branch Lake and maintain a stable or improving trend in water quality. Ecological Instincts worked with project partners to develop strategies focused on organization outputs, NPS mitigation outputs, and water quality outcomes over the 10-year planning period.
Project partners: Branch Lake Association, Hancock County Soil & Water Conservation District, Maine DEP, City of Ellsworth, and Ecological Instincts.