Although it lies in an increasingly populous area, Cold Rain Pond is remarkably undeveloped, with a setting more characteristic of a remote, northern trout pond. Only one camp fronts on this “great pond” and a conservation easement held by Loon Echo Land Trust protects most of that private property from further development. No additional building will occur along the shores of Cold Rain Pond, thanks to the generosity of the former landowners who offered to sell their land to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) at a price well below market value. With funding from the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) Program, IFW acquired 186 acres surrounding Cold Rain Pond, including all the remaining shorefront. Anglers have traditionally enjoyed access to this site, but just prior to the state’s purchase, that access was closed off. Restoration of a traditional carry-in site on the pond’s north shore is planned, ensuring that the public can enjoy boating and fishing in a remarkably unspoiled setting.
Cold Rain Pond supports a thriving cold-water fishery. The pond has no suitable tributaries for brook trout spawning and nursery habitat, and annual stocking in the spring and fall is required to maintain a viable trout fishery. Other fish present are rainbow smell, yellow perch, chain pickerel, white sucker, hornpout (bullhead) and pumpkinseed sunfish.
65 percent of soils in the watershed are type A soils. Type A soils tend to be well drained sands, loams and gravels. When vegetation is removed and the soil is exposed they can be susceptible to erosion. Because they are often coarse with ample pore space, there is low runoff potential and water will not usually pool on them. These soils can be good places to site leach fields or infiltrate stormwater from a home or residence.
27 percent of soils in the watershed are type C soils. C soils have low infiltration rates and typically have a layer that impedes the movement of water. These soils are made of sands, clays and loams and are one of the most common soil types in western Maine.
1 percent of soils in the watershed are type C/D soils. C/D soils are a mix of these two soil types. They have fairly high runoff potential and low infiltration rates and often pool water.
The remaining 7 percent of the watershed is taken up by the pond.
Open Water Quality Monitoring
