Bohemian Waxwing photo by Mary Jewett

Fri­day, April 27, 7 p.m

Have you ever watched a black-capped chick­adee flit in and out of the tree branches effort­lessly? Have you ever seen a downy wood­pecker use its tail feath­ers to help posi­tion itself against a tree? Do you ever won­der how birds know where they are head­ing as they migrate from South Amer­ica to Maine? Join bird­ing enthu­si­ast Jean Preis and LEA’s Sarah Mor­ri­son for an hour-long inter­ac­tive pre­sen­ta­tion on the won­ders of birds and their songs in prepa­ra­tion for the next morning’s bird walk. To reg­is­ter, email Sarah Mor­ri­son.

The Crooked River originates at the southern end of Songo Pond in Bethel and meanders southward for approximately 38 miles to its junction with the Songo River near the State Park in Naples, Maine. The two rivers then wind two more miles to their outlet in the northernmost part of Sebago Lake.

Fishing

The Crooked River is a good bet for quality landlocked salmon in a riverine setting, but be prepared to have some fishless days. The Crooked is nearly 60 miles long and the salmon can quickly disperse in this large river system, which can make for some spotty fishing. On the other hand, there’s an opportunity to catch some large salmon in the river as well as native brook trout. The Crooked provides virtually all of the spawning habitat for wild landlocked salmon in Sebago Lake. Each spring, smelts run into the lower section of this river and fishing activity is brisk from the Route 302 bridge down to the lake.

Water quality: Stable

The Crooked River is monitored by the Portland Water District on a quarterly basis from the Sebago Lake State Park in Naples to a bridge on Rt. 35 in Albany. The total phosphorus levels for 2010 remained in line with expectations with no readings above the action level of 35 ppb. Overall, the Crooked River appears to have generally stable water quality. While no samples taken in 2010 were above the action limit, continued monitoring of the river is necessary. The Crooked River contributes more surface inflow to Sebago Lake than any other tributary and a reduction in water quality in the Crooked River could reduce water quality in the lake. Crooked River Monitoring Results for 2010.

Crooked River Watershed Survey

This water­shed sur­vey began in the spring of 2011 and fin­ished March 2012.  Like many of the sur­veys that LEA has par­tic­i­pated in, this project involved iden­ti­fy­ing and doc­u­ment­ing ero­sion sites within the water­shed.  How­ever, unlike past sur­veys, a ripar­ian (shore­line) cor­ri­dor sur­vey was also under­taken because of the impor­tance this area plays in pro­tect­ing the Crooked River’s high value land-locked salmon and brook trout fish­eries.   More than a dozen orga­ni­za­tions part­nered together to com­plete a sur­vey of the water­shed which stretches from south­ern Bethel in the north to Naples in the South.  From the land-based sur­vey, 164 sites were iden­ti­fied as prob­lems.   The ripar­ian sur­vey iden­ti­fied 20 prob­lem sites.  To read more about this project please check out the full Crooked River Survey Report and the Crooked River Riparian Cooridor Survey.

Sebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake (after Moosehead Lake) in Maine. The lake is 12 miles long and its shoreline stretches 105 miles. It is surrounded by the towns of Casco, Naples, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham. On the lake itself is the town of Frye Island. Sebago Lake is connected to Brandy Pond by the Songo River and eventually to Long Lake in Naples. The Sebago Lake watershed includes all or parts of 24 towns and covers approximately 300,000 acres. Water from this entire land area eventually reaches Sebago Lake, some directly and some indirectly (after flowing into and then out of other lakes such as Brandy Pond).  Because of their proximity, development of watershed properties in these towns has the greatest potential to impact Sebago Lake. The total Sebago Lake watershed land area in these seven towns is 86,440 acres, ranging from 862 acres in Frye Island to 20,452 acres in Naples.

Fishing

The lake contains natural populations of land-locked salmon (Salmo salar sebago) and smelt because when the last major glaciers retreated, the entire watershed was under seawater, and populations of these marine animals became established as the land rose and seawaters retreated. Sebago Lake also holds a legendary place in Maine fishing lore as the home of the onetime world record (and still state-record) landlocked salmon — a 22.5-pounder caught Sept. 12, 1907, by Edward Blakeley of Darien, Conn. Another memorable Sebago salmon was caught by Jack Sharkey, a former heavyweight boxing champion who landed a 28-inch fish that weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces on April 21, 1948. A more recent lunker was recorded on July 25, 1999, when Roger W. Kolterman hooked a salmon that weighed 8.84 pounds and was 27 inches long. Recently, however, some of the biggest fish to come out of Sebago have been Northern pike, where were introduced illegally and first documented in the lake in 2003. Northern pike were put into a number of Maine waters, fisheries biologists believe, by people trying to improve the fishing without regard to the serious consequences for native fish populations. A 17½-pound, 41-inch pike that was caught on Sebago March 16, 2010, had a 13-inch salmon in its stomach. Other game fish found in Sebago lake include lake trout, brook trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass.

Water quality: Good

Sebago Lake is the primary water supply for the Portland Water District (PWD), which serves the Greater Portland region and about 15 percent of Maine’s population. It’s a fundamental fact of life that water flows down hill. That’s why PWD and LEA have a strong working partnership and share the same big goal — protecting the Sebago Lake watershed, which stretches for 361 square miles, including 71 square miles of lakes, ponds and rivers. “We’re at the bottom of the hill,” said Paul Hunt, PWD environmental manager.  “And LEA is at the top of the hill. So our feeling is that every drop of water that LEA protects benefits us.” The average clarity for all Maine lakes monitored in 2010 was 5.6 meters, according to PWD. In 2010, the average clarity of Sebago Lake was 9.7m in Lower Bay, and in 2011 it was 10.1m, making Sebago Lake one of the clearest lakes in Maine, PWD reported in its State of the Lake 2012 Report.

The Songo River in Naples, one of Maine’s busiest waterways, is 3.1 miles long and connects Long Lake and Brandy Pond with Sebago Lake.  Separating the upper and lower river is Songo Lock, the only remaining operational lock of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal. The lock was completed two years before the Town of Naples was incorporated in 1834. The Songo River is infested with variable leaf milfoil. The infestation in the river was documented in 2003 and in 2004, milfoil was also found in Brandy Pond. About three acres were infested on the Songo when LEA began plant control work on the river and Brandy Pond. In 2011, the first survey of Brandy Pond and the upper Songo revealed only a few dozen plants. By the time the LEA crew disbanded in August, the upper river and Brandy Pond had been cleared of plants and an 800-foot safety zone had been cleared on the lower Songo.

Fishing

The Songo River is a thoroughfare for fish as well as boats. So the list of fish in the Songo includes all fish that frequent Brandy Pond, Long Lake and Sebago Lake, even though they may not be resident year-round. Smallmouth and largemouth bass provide the most significant fisheries. Brook trout are stocked in the river. Large numbers of white perch are present in Brandy Pond, but due to their abundance, they are generally small in size and not attractive to many anglers. They also compete with most other species for both food and space which tends to limit the potential of other species, particularly salmon, trout, and smelt.

Pleasant Pond, located in Denmark, Fryeburg and Brownfield, is actually a large backwater of the Saco River and its size fluctuates depending upon flows within the river. The fishable area of the pond is quite a bit smaller than a topographic map indicates due to expansive areas of shallow wetlands. There is little development along the shorelines, which gives the pond a remote character.

Fishing

The pond is homothermous and lacks suitable habitat for salmonids. However, the pond provides excellent fishing for perch and pickerel, and it also produces some quality-size largemouth bass. Other fish present are creek chubsucker, golden shiners, yellow perch, white suckers, chain pickerel, hornpout (bullhead) and pumpkinseed sunfish.

Water quality: Moderate

High phosphorus levels in Pleasant Pond are due largely to riverine input from the Saco. Because of the naturally high color in the pond, there is less light penetration into the water column. This characteristic helps limits the amount of algae present during periods of elevated phosphorus. Pleasant Pond is in the MODERATE degree of concern category.  

2011 water-testing summary

The 2011 Secchi disk reading of 0.9 meters was significantly less deep than the long-term average of 2.7 meters.This unusually low clarity reading was due to an extremely high sediment load in the water column due to post hurricane Irene flooding. Dissolved oxygen de­pletion was observed in every meter except the surface. Phosphorus concentrations in the surface waters were extremely high at 57.0 ppb, which is well above the long-term average of 21.5 ppb. This was again a result of the high sediment load in the water column from hurricane Irene. Conductivity was 21, which is below the long-term average of 30 µs. pH was 6.3, which is below the long term average of 6.5. Chlorophyll levels were high at 9.7, which is above the long-term average of 4.8 ppb. Alkalinity was 6 ppm, which is below the long term average of 7 ppm and color was 100 SPU, which is above the long-term average of 60 SPU. 

2011 average vs. long-term average

Pickerel Pond in Denmark is relatively shallow, with undeveloped shorelines and a quiet, remote setting.

Fishing

In 1960, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife introduced largemouth bass to improve fishing opportunities on the pond. The bass have established and provide good fishing. Pickerel and perch are also readily caught and provide some variety for the angler. Also present are white suckers, hornpout (bullhead), pumpkinseed sunfish,  minnows,  American eel and golden shiners.

Water quality: Average concern

Water quality conditions appear fairly stable in Pickerel Pond.  For this reason it remains in the AVER­AGE degree of concern category.

2011 water-testing summary

The 2011 Secchi disk reading of 5.3 was slightly deeper the long-term average of 5.2 meters. Dissolved oxygen depletion was observed in the bottom meter of the water column during late August sampling. Phosphorus in the surface waters was 9.0 ppb, which is above the long-term average of 5.7 ppb. Alkalinity was 8 ppm, which is above the long term average of 6 ppm and pH was the same as the long term average of 6.4. Chlorophyll concentrations were the same as the long-term average of 2.6 ppb. Conductivity was 20 µs, which is under the long-term average of 26 µs and color was 17 SPU, which is under the long-term average of 23 SPU. 

2011 average vs. long-term average

Perley Pond is located in Denmark, just north of Hancock Pond off the Sebago Road. Even though the Sebago Road follows the southern shoreline of the pond, the pond is only lightly developed with a few camps.

Fishing

This water thermally stratifies each summer, but only a small band of cold, oxygenated water is available for coldwater fish management. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife introduced largemouth bass in 1960 and they now provide a self-sustaining fishery. This pond produces a small number of bass up to 4 or 5 pounds with pickerel and yellow perch providing additional angling opportunities. 

Water quality: Moderate concern

Due to oxygen depletion in the bottom waters, Perley Pond remains in the MODERATE degree of con­cern category.

2011 water-testing summary

The 2011 Secchi disk reading of 5.0 was above the long-term average of 4.7 me­ters. Dissolved oxygen depletion was observed in the bottom half of the water column during Au­gust sampling.  Phosphorus concentrations in the surface waters were 7.0 ppb, which is below the long-term average of 9.6 ppb. Alkalinity was the same as the long term average of 5 ppm and pH was 6.5, which is above the long term average of 6.4. Chlorophyll was 2.3 ppb for the year, which is below the long-term average of 4.9 ppb.  Conductivity was 22 µs, which is under the long term average of 30 µs and color was 18 SPU, which is less than the long-term average of 30 SPU. 

2011 average vs. long-term average