Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Before And After The Clean Water Act: How Science, Law, And Public Aspirations Drove Seven Decades Of Progress In Maine Water Quality, David L. Courtemanch, Susan P. Davies, Eileen Sylvan Johnson, Rebecca Schaffner, Douglas Suitor

Maine Policy Review

In the 1950s, Maine established a water quality classification system creating the conceptual scaffolding of a tiered system of management. Passage of the federal Clean Water Act in 1972 drove dramatic advances in science, technology, and policy leading to systematic improvement for the next five decades. Today’s tiered classification system provides a range of management goals from natural to various allowable uses. The state assigns uses and standards for each classification, incorporating physical, chemical, and biological indicators. This system has brought steady improvement in water quality, ecological condition, and overall value for human use. Visible evidence of improvement and adoption …

Senator George J. Mitchell Center For Sustainability Solutions (University Of Maine) Publications, 1966-2007, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine

Finding Aids

The majority of the publications in this record group were created by the University of Maine's Land and Water Resource Center, which is now known as the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions.

The Land and Water Resource Center was established by the Water Resources Research Act of 1964 and was primarily funded by federal funds. The Center served the goals of stimulation and coordination of research, training and educational activities in the water resources disciplines, including soil suitability and land use. In 2000, the Center was renamed the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed …

Participatory Modeling Of Tidal Circulation On Maine Mudflats To Improve Water Quality Management Of Shellfish Areas, Gabrielle V. Hillyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, researchers have become increasingly aware of the vital role stakeholder knowledge plays in understanding complex social and environmental problems. Incorporating stakeholder knowledge into understanding complex problems allows for greater awareness and identification of community needs and can help build partnerships to support the development of applied research. In this thesis, I demonstrate the value of stakeholder knowledge and research partnerships by focusing on the soft-shell clamming industry in Maine and how a complex collaboration between clammers, municipal officials, representatives from state agencies, researchers, and other partners relied on and build adaptive capacity to address complex water …

Modeling Response Of Water Quality To Land-Use And Climate Change In Lake Auburn, Me, Nicholas Messina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lake Auburn, Maine, USA, is a historically unproductive lake that has experienced multiple algal blooms since 2011. The lake is the water supply source for a population of ~60,000. We modeled past temperature, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) and phosphorus (P) in Lake Auburn by considering the watershed and internal contributions of P as well as atmospheric factors, and predicted the change in lake water quality in response to future climate and land-use changes. A stream hydrology and P-loading model (SimplyP) was used to generate input from two major tributaries into a lake model (MyLake) to simulate physical mixing, …

Improved Estimates Of Tributary Nitrogen Load To Casco Bay, Maine, Whitley J. Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, total nitrogen (TN) concentrations have increased in Casco Bay (CBEP 2015). The sources of the increased nitrogen are poorly understood but occur with simultaneous population growth and land use changes. The total riverine nitrogen load to Casco Bay was previously estimated by Liebman and Milstead (2012) using the United States Geologic Survey’s (USGS) SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model. The SPARROW model uses watershed characteristics, regional monitoring data and nitrogen source data to estimate nitrogen loading but was not validated using measurements of nitrogen in the Casco Bay watershed. This study attempts to …

Perspectives On Water Resources Risk, Policy, And Stewardship, Anne Marie Lausier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water management approaches have historically optimized water for human use and placed lower emphasis on the relationship between ecosystems and humans. Despite efforts to balance human and ecosystem needs, existing management approaches tend to prioritize some needs, knowledges, and values over others. Natural and anthropogenic changes pose challenges to water governance institutions due to policy inflexibility, and may lead to ecosystem degradation, water stress, and conflict among water users. This work seeks to redress these shortcomings through three scholarly contributions. First, a conceptual framework for Water Resources Stewardship is developed in support of equitable and adaptive solutions under changing conditions. …

Ecological And Economic Implications Of Increased Storm Frequency And Severity For Boreal Lakes, Kathryn Warner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In boreal regions, increased precipitation events have been linked to increased concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), however less is known about the extent and implications of these events on lakes. We assessed the effects of precipitation events on six drinking water lakes in Maine, USA to better understand how DOC concentration and quality change in response to precipitation events. Our results revealed three types of responses: (1) an initial spike in DOC concentrations and quality metrics; (2) a sustained increase in DOC concentrations and quality metrics and; (3) no change during all sampling periods. Lake residence time was a …

Stream Dynamics In The Headwaters Of Post-Glacial Watershed Systems, Brett Gerard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation summarizes research examining watershed processes across Northern New England, with an emphasis on the Central and Coastal regions of Maine. The research presented here focuses on the linkages between watershed geomorphic conditions, climate, and surface flow regimes driving stream channel hydraulic conditions and bed dynamics governing channel geometry. The geologic and human history of the landscape provides the context in which earth surface processes are examined within the dominant physiographic settings in Maine to describe vulnerabilities to climate change. Results are summarized to support the development of sustainability solutions for forecasted watershed management problems by natural resource management …

Evaluating Potential For Water Quality Decline In Maine Lakes, Kaci N. Fitzgibbon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding lake vulnerability with respect to eutrophication and loss of water quality is important for sustainability of aquatic ecosystems. This project aims at identifying and quantifying the effects of relevant physiochemical, climate, and watershed characteristics on lake vulnerability in order to develop management decision tools for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP). In a changing chemical and physical environment, using independent variables from each of these categories and then relating them to the summer lake epilimnetic phosphorus (P) concentrations allows for development of models to inform stakeholders of lake vulnerability to eutrophication problems.

We studied 24 lakes covering a …

Water Chemistry Dynamics In Four Vernal Pools In Maine, Usa, Lydia H. Kifner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vernal pools are small seasonal wetlands that are a common landscape feature that contribute to biodiversity in northeastern North American forests. However, even basic information about their biogeochemical functions, such as carbon cycling, is limited. Dissolved gas concentrations (CH₄, CO₂) and other water chemistry parameters were monitored weekly at the bottom and surface of four vernal pools in central and eastern Maine, USA, from April to August 2016. The vernal pools were supersaturated with respect to CH₄ and CO₂ at all sampling dates and locations. Concentrations of dissolved CH₄ and CO₂ ranged …

Tb208: Biological Water Quality Standards To Achieve Biological Condition Goals In Maine Rivers And Streams: Science And Policy, Susan P. Davies, Francis Drummond, David L. Courtemanch, Leonidas Tsomides, Thomas J. Danielson

Technical Bulletins

This publication describes the philosophy, history, methodology, and management applications of numeric biological criteria in water quality standards in Maine. The presentation describes the decision-making process used by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) for assessing attainment of aquatic life uses in water quality standards using benthic macroinvertebrates in Maine streams and rivers including eight case studies of management applications and the improved environmental outcomes that have resulted. The MDEP, University of Maine, and business and nonprofit stakeholders participated in the development and testing of Maine’s numeric biological criteria. This publication further discusses the broader relevance of numeric biological …

Effects Of Watershed Characteristics On Stream Vulnerability To Urbanization: Implications Of Future Land Use On Streams In Maine, Usa, Kristen Weil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catchment urbanization has deleterious effects on freshwater resources and aquatic communities in small stream ecosystems. In the State of Maine, many streams have been negatively affected by urbanization and are in need of management and restoration. Impervious cover (IC), i.e., any surface that impedes water infiltration into the ground, can serve as a measure of watershed urbanization. Recent studies conducted in Maine have indicated that stream biotic community structure and function begin to decline at impervious cover levels of approximately 1 to 15%. This wide range presents a challenge to regulatory agencies and watershed managers charged with protecting stream quality …

River Restoration: Institutions, Boundaries, And Social Ecological Dynamics, Eileen Sylvan Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This human dimensions research, consisting of three manuscripts, explores the social and ecological dimensions of river restoration through an examination of the restoration trajectories of the Androscoggin, an impaired system, and the Kennebec, a restored system. Manuscript one examines the influence of biophysical and community attributes and institutional rules on policy stakeholders goals and actions within the two watersheds. For manuscripts one and two, we conducted semi-structured interviews with key informants, assembled documents pertaining to restoration actions, and conducted participant observation at stakeholder meetings. We qualitatively analyzed transcripts and documents. Results suggest that policy stakeholders’ understandings of biophysical and community …

Lake Site Assessments: Us Epa Time-New England Lakes, Sarah J. Nelson, Adam Baumann, Alesha Coffin, Ken Johnson, Catherine Schmitt, Kristin Strock

Forest Resources Faculty Scholarship

TIME (Temporally Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems) is a statistically selected population of lakes in New Eng- land and the Hudson Valley (31 lakes) and the Adirondacks (43 lakes) that were selected from the original 1991 EMAP-SW (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program–Surface Waters) population with acid neutralizing capacity less than 100 meq/L (Young & Stoddard 1996). Samples are taken annually, during a summer base-flow ‘index period’. This sampling strategy is used to reduce hydrologic impact on water chemistry and hence provide an assessment of trends in chemistry with the least number of samples (e.g., Stoddard et al. 2003).

The EMAP program …

Tb207: A Manual For Remote Sensing Of Maine Lake Clarity, Ian M. Mccullough, Cynthia S. Loftin, Steven A. Sader

Technical Bulletins

The purpose of this manual is to support use of satellite-based remote sensing for statewide lake water-quality monitoring in Maine. The authors describe step-by-step methods that combine Landsat and MODIS satellite data with field-collected Secchi disk data for statewide assessment of lake water clarity. Landsat can be simul­taneously used to assess more than Maine 1,000 lakes ≥ 8 ha, whereas MODIS can be used to assess a maximum of 364 lakes ≥ 100 ha (250-m image resolution) or 83 lakes ≥ 400 ha (500-m image resolution). Although the methods were specifically developed for Maine, other states or non-Maine agen­cies may …

Wicked Tools: The Value Of Scientific Models For Solving Maine’S Wicked Problems, Tim Waring

Maine Policy Review

“Wicked problems” are urgent, high-stake socioeconomic-environmental challenges that often involve ideological conflict and have no “best solutions.” Using examples from Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative projects, Tim Waring describes how scientific models can be used to address these kinds of problems. When well-constructed and tested models are used to address policy-relevant issues, include input from stakeholders, and integrate social, economic and environmental dynamics, they can become “wicked tools” to address some of society’s biggest challenges.

The Path To Sustainable Water Resources Solutions, John Peckenham, David Hart, Sean Smith, Shaleen Jain, Whitney King

Maine Policy Review

Water is essential both to human survival and to the ecosystems on which people depend. Although Maine is blessed with abundant water sources, managing them is crucial for both short and long-term uses. The authors describe the varying time and spatial scales involved in managing water resources, pointing out that policy decisions made at one time can have far-reaching consequences. They provide illustrations of water-resource projects from Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative, ranging in size from Sebago Laketo vernal pools on individual properties.

Healthy Lakes And Vibrant Economies: Linking History, Sense Of Place, And Watershed Protection In The Belgrade Lakes Region, James Rodger Fleming, Erin A. Love

Maine Policy Review

Using interviews, targeted questionnaires, and histori­cal documents, James Fleming and Erin Love show how history and “sense of place” can help encourage individuals to support environmental protection. The project they describe focuses on watershed protection in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine, and is part of a larger Sustainability Solutions Initiative project in that region. They argue that “connection to place leads to caring about it.”

Climate, Agricultural Strategies, And Sustainability In The Precolumbian Andes, Charles Ortloff, Michael E. Moseley

Andean Past

No abstract provided.

A Paleolimnological Assessment Of Three Oligotrophic Watersheds In Maine, Tiffany Ann Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting nutrient in aquatic ecosystems. Its bioavailability determines the trophic status of lakes. The biogeochemistry of P in surface waters can be controlled by a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. Dissolved inorganic aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) hydrolyze in streams and lakes to produce Al(OH)₃ and Fe(OH)₃ in the water column. These hydroxides may also form through photo-oxidation of complexes with DOC, liberation of inorganic metal species, and precipitation, followed by sedimentation. These solid phases readily adsorb P from the water column, reducing the amount that is available for biological nutrition (Kopácek et …

The Clean Water Act In Maine: Goals And Financing, Andrew Fisk

Maine Policy Review

Andrew Fisk gives an overview of the history of the federal Clean Water Act and of Maine’s efforts to improve the quality of the state’s lakes, rivers and streams. He describes how the Clean Water Act works and how its provisions are implemented. While the quality of Maine’s water bodies has improved greatly, much work still remains to be done in the areas of rain and stormwater runoff and mercury pollution, and in having adequate financing and infrastructure over the long term.

Myriophyllum Heterophyllum Michx. (Haloragaceae): Control And Vegetative Reproduction In Southwestern Maine, Jacolyn E. Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native to the southeastern United States, variable-leaf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) is an invasive species in the Northeast and has been documented in Maine lakes for twenty years. Variable-leaf watermilfoil is targeted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection as a species of grave concern as it has aggressively colonized twenty-six water bodies in Maine. This aquatic invasive plant grows in dense mats and outcompetes native vegetation. It is causing both ecological and economic disruption to Maine's lakes and ponds. The plants clog boat motors and deter people from swimming and other water related activities. Allofragmentation and autofragmentation occur …

Methods For The Translocation Of The Yellow Lampmussel (Lampsilis Cariosa) And The Tidewater Mucket (Leptodea Ochracea) In The Fort Halifax Dam Impoundment Of The Sebasticok River, Maine, Jennifer Elaine Kurth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Translocation from areas where habitat alterations are proposed can be an important mussel conservation tool. Pending removal of the Fort Halifax dam on the Sebasticook River in Maine potentially would result in extensive mortality of two statelisted threatened species of mussels, yellow lampmussels (Lampsilis cariosa) and tidewater muckets (Leptodea ochracea), which occur in the impoundment above the dam. My study assessed populations of these two species in the impoundment, and determined the effects of within- and between-waterbody translocations on survival. I conducted a qualitative survey of the Fort Halifax dam impoundment in 2004 to determine locations …

Ambassadors Of The Bay: 2005 Final Report, Maine Sea Grant College Program

Maine Sea Grant Publications

The MDI Water Quality Coalition has been working with citizens on water quality related projects in Frenchman Bay since 1997. Over the last decade, many issues of concern to the residents and users of the bay have come up. These issues include polluted runoff from paved streets and parking lots, increasing development in the upper reaches of coastal watersheds as well as right on the shoreline, nutrient enrichment of bays, over harvesting of marine resources, shifting of mussel harvesting techniques to aquaculture, building of piers, increasing visitation by cruise ships, contamination of swim areas, declining eelgrass populations, shoreline erosion, and …

The Effects Of The 2001-2002 Drought On Maine Surface Water Supplies, Catherine Schmitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine lakes and streams serve as significant sources of public water supply, serving 40% of the population. Drought affects surface water resources by reducing water quantity and altering water quality, for example by reducing inputs of materials from the watershed and increasing water residence times. The 2001-2002 drought was the worst in Maine in over thirty years, and it exposed deficiencies in current water resources planning and management. In this study, I evaluated the effects of the 2001-2002 drought on Maine public water systems in order to identify characteristics of systems vulnerable to drought and determine appropriate indicators of drought …

A Comparison Of The Ecological Integrity Of Headwater Streams Draining Harvested And Un-Harvested Watersheds In The Western Mountains Of Maine, U.S.A., Darlene Siegel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of four headwater streams draining forested watersheds were compared to determine the effectiveness of Riparian Management Zones (RMZs) in protecting aquatic ecological integrity from the effects of forest harvesting. Two of the watersheds were harvested with a 30% sheltenvood cut and a 75 foot buffer was left adjacent to the streams. The other two watersheds were un-harvested and were used as reference conditions for comparison with the harvested watersheds. General environmental conditions in these four headwater streams during the study period were characterized as follows. Each stream was located within a mixed- wood forest dominated …

An Engineering, Economic, And Political Approach To Beach Erosion Mitigation And Harbor Development: A Review Of The Beach Communities Of Camp Ellis, Maine, Wells, Maine, And Cape May, New Jersey, Edmund Cervone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of coastal engineering projects is fraught with problems. In this thesis I examine the federal navigation project at Wells, Maine. In Wells, an incomplete understanding of the coastal setting led to a faulty engineering design responsible for a poorly functioning inlet and harbor and damage to neighboring beaches and wildlife habitat. Project planners and designers did not account for all unforeseen problems that arose. Reviewing the history of Wells Harbor demonstrates how proper attention to the natural setting, economics, and the political environment is essential to a successful project and enables agencies and stakeholders better to address contingencies …

Arsenic In Drinking Water And Public Opinion On Wildlife Management As Case Studies Illustrating Natural Resource Policy, Jessica Sargent-Michaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are various ways to approach policy planning. This thesis consists of two Maine natural resource issue case studies illustrating different approaches to policy analysis. The first, a case study of arsenic contamination, is an example of a study that assembles information and provides that information to the public to influence public behavior. The second, a case study of wildlife management, is an example of a study that surveys the public to collect information on the public's opinions and attitudes to influence agency behavior towards the public. Arsenic in drinking water in Maine is a public health concern. There may …

Effects Of Roadway-Related Physical And Chemical Habitat Alterations On Stream Ecosystems, Thomas Stuart Woodcock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Roadways are an important feature of both rural and urban landscapes, and disturbances associated with them have a variety of effects on stream ecosystems. Organisms may be differentially affected by toxic substances, depending on such factors as sediment and water chemistry, toxin bioavailability, uptake and elimination processes, and tolerance mechanisms. The effects of heavy metal pollution and habitat alteration related to urbanization and industry were examined along a gradient of impact in Goosefare Brook, a small stream in southern Maine with a history of water quality impahlent. The structure of invertebrate assemblages changed significantly along the gradient, and were related …

Fire And Its Effects On Mercury And Methylmercury Dynamics For Two Watersheds In Acadia National Park, Maine, Kenneth B. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cross-continental movement of contaminated air masses and prevailing wind direction. Sites covered with softwood vegetation also received higher Hg deposition than other vegetation types because of the higher scavenging efficiency of the canopy structure. MeHg deposition was not affected by these factors. Hg deposition was lower in Cadillac Brook watershed (burned) than in Hadlock Brook watershed (unburned) because regeneration after the fire was dominated by mixed hardwood, whereas softwoods dominate the landscape in Hadlock Brook watershed. The lower deposition could also be a result of the watershed aspect; Cadillac Brook watershed faces southeast to east and Hadlock Brook watershed faces …