Water clarity at North Pond dam, in Great Meadow Stream improves

A water sample taken from the North Pond dam Wednesday, Sept. 14, found none of the toxin normally associated with algal blooms in Maine lakes. The toxin has not been detected throughout the duration of North Pond’s bloom this summer.

Assistant Lake Scientist Lizzy Gallagher reported the color, odor and clarity of the water at the dam have vastly improved in recent weeks. Gallagher said the dead algae that is believed to have caused the discoloration of the water are clearly settling to the bottom, noting aquatic plants are again visible from the surface. Downstream in Great Meadow Stream, which flows from North Pond to Great Pond, the water remains murky, though its clarity has also improved.

The water in Great Meadow Stream south of the North Pond dam remains murky, but the clarity has improved. Previously, the milky color of the water obscured the view of any aquatic vegetation from the surface.