JAY — A public hearing on a proposed watershed survey for Parker and Moose Hill ponds will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Spruce Mountain Middle School cafeteria.

The survey is planned for next spring to assess the health of the watersheds of the two ponds — Moose Hill in Livermore Falls and Parker in Jay — which provide water for the Livermore Falls Water District. The district sells water to neighboring Jay Village.

The watershed includes all the land that drains to the ponds through streams, ditches, directly over the ground’s surface, or through groundwater.

Trained volunteers will identify sources of water pollution and help the communities find ways to eliminate them. Those involved include local residents and groups, including the Livermore Falls Water District, the Spruce Mountain High School Envirothon Program and the Jay Planning Board.

The meeting will explain the purpose of the watershed survey, gather contact information for interested participants, and provide information on the importance of watersheds in maintaining the health of water bodies.

In June, Jay voters approved adding Parker Pond to a Resource Protection District in the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. It had been mapped as resource protection but lacked wording to meet the criteria in the ordinance. 

In 2004, school envirothon coach Rob Taylor began monitoring water quality in 1994 when he partnered with Doug Burdo of the Livermore Falls Water District to teach students conservation techniques with the water district’s equipment. Valuable data was gathered in the process.

Since the formation of the Spruce Mountain School District, Taylor’s envirothon team has continued to monitor water quality.

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net

Ben Nichols, left, and William Brenner of the Envirothon Team at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay prepare to conduct water quality tests at Moose Hill Pond in Livermore Falls in 2015. A public hearing on a proposed watershed survey of the pond will be held Oct. 23 at Spruce Mountain Middle School in Jay. (Livermore Falls Advertiser file photo)

Bryan Riley, a member of the Envirothon Team at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay, tests water from Moose Hill Pond in Livermore Falls in 2015. A public hearing on a proposed watershed survey for the pond will be held Oct. 23 at the Spruce Mountain Middle School in Jay. (Livermore Falls Advertiser file photo)