2017.11.13 Council Agenda Item 09
Summary
Order to establish a new committee, to be called Highland Lake Leadership Team, and to approve the committee’s purpose, membership, meetings and procedures, and charge.
A public comment period will be included (3 minutes per person).
ACTION: Council action is anticipated.
Description
Highland Lake has been monitored for many years. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Highland Lake Association (HLA) partnered with the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) to develop several plans to help improve water quality at the lake. These plans included:
- 1999 Highland Lake Watershed Management Plan
- 2003 Phosphorus Control Action Plan
- 2005 Highland Lake Watershed Management Plan
During this time, the water quality was poor. Several years later, after substantial efforts from the HLA, many of the strategies and goals outlined in the plans were implemented. The water quality improved and the process and effort was deemed to be very successful. Unfortunately, more work is needed because there have been recent lake-wide algae blooms. The cause of the blooms are not yet know and the specific algae, picoplankton, is not common to freshwater lakes in Maine.
Earlier this summer, the HLA reached out to officials in Falmouth and Windham. After several informal meetings this summer and fall and consultation with MaineDEP, CCSWCD, and others, we are recommending a more formal structure (a joint committee, appointed by Windham, Falmouth and HLA) to help organize an updated strategy to improve water quality at the lake. The name of the committee will be the Highland Lake Leadership Team. The purpose of the Team is to have the Towns of Falmouth and Windham, the Highland Lake Association, the DEP, and CCSWCD work together to improve and maintain the water quality of Highland Lake for the benefit of the residents.
The order is attached which includes the Team’s purpose, membership, meetings and procedures, and charge.
