Long Creek plan makes progress (June 13, 2008)
By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
Businesses in South Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook and Portland may have to start being more “green-minded” in order to preserve the four-mile stretch of Long Creek and the surrounding watershed – experts are calling “urban impaired.” A petition filed in March concerning the federal Clean Water Act could require businesses in the four municipalities to comply with new environmentally friendly standards during redevelopment as part of a Watershed Management Plan for Long Creek.
Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District Senior Project Manager Tamara Pinard said the creek is one of four urban impaired streams in the city out of 32 in the state. The organization is working with local businesses, property owners and municipal officials to address the health of the creek and ways they can improve it through a Long Creek Restoration Project, one of the first and largest attempts to revitalize streams impacted by urban development.
“We don’t have a lot of examples to go by,” Pinard said.
Jeff Varricchione, a biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said he has been working on the restoration project since 1999 and has seen shopping carts, tires and other objects in the creek, which can disturb the natural balance of the different habitats there. During a brief tour of the creek, he described how obstructions can constrict water flow and create unnatural currents. Other areas of the river have been exposed to sunlight by the removal of nearby trees, which he said could warm the water and upset species used to a colder habitat.
In addition to trash, Pinard said salt, sand and oil collected by nearby catch basins has affected the natural habitat of the stream.
“We live in Maine, we deal with winter, we use salt and sand,” she said. “We’re just much more aware of the effect that can have on a habitat now.”
Pinard, Varricchione, DEP and Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District representatives and Long Creek Restoration Project members planned to meet with local landowners Tuesday to explore options to renew Long Creek.
“How can we structure the funding to ensure economic vitality in the area and improve Long Creek?” Pinard asked. “We need to find something reasonable.”
South Portland Water Resource Protection Director Patrick Cloutier said the city has already received $120,000 from a federal grant to help with the costs of the planning process for the management plan.
“The funds will be used for things like improving structural best management practices,” he said. “It’s really just implementing building aspects to improve the water quality of the creek.”
Long Creek Restoration Project Facilitator Anne Gosline said municipalities could be eligible for more grants as the project moves forward.
Landowners around the creek could also have an added incentive to “go green,” she said.
“We think there are ways you can have vibrant economic areas and still have access to the stream,” she said. “You could create trails, which could possibly raise property values.”
Gosline said a large step in restoring Long Creek is to remind property owners how important routine maintenance to drainage and storm water systems is. Pinard said malfunctioning or ineffective storm water systems can have a significant impact on the surrounding environment.
“Sometimes landowners just don’t know,” Gosline said.
Gosline said members of the Long Creek Restoration Project will take the input from local businesses to the table over the next few months as they develop a draft of the management plan for the Long Creek watershed, to be presented to the public in the fall. The final draft will ultimately be presented to each municipality for implementation, she said.
“This whole process is going to be really interesting,” Gosline said. “This could present opportunities as well as challenges.”
Cloutier said so far the process has been a positive one for business owners and members of the Long Creek Restoration Project.
“It’s been a really collaborative process,” he said. “The only reason we’ve seen the success we have is because everybody’s so interested in doing what they need to do to clean up the stream.”
Staff Writer
Businesses in South Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook and Portland may have to start being more “green-minded” in order to preserve the four-mile stretch of Long Creek and the surrounding watershed – experts are calling “urban impaired.” A petition filed in March concerning the federal Clean Water Act could require businesses in the four municipalities to comply with new environmentally friendly standards during redevelopment as part of a Watershed Management Plan for Long Creek.
Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District Senior Project Manager Tamara Pinard said the creek is one of four urban impaired streams in the city out of 32 in the state. The organization is working with local businesses, property owners and municipal officials to address the health of the creek and ways they can improve it through a Long Creek Restoration Project, one of the first and largest attempts to revitalize streams impacted by urban development.
“We don’t have a lot of examples to go by,” Pinard said.
Jeff Varricchione, a biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said he has been working on the restoration project since 1999 and has seen shopping carts, tires and other objects in the creek, which can disturb the natural balance of the different habitats there. During a brief tour of the creek, he described how obstructions can constrict water flow and create unnatural currents. Other areas of the river have been exposed to sunlight by the removal of nearby trees, which he said could warm the water and upset species used to a colder habitat.
In addition to trash, Pinard said salt, sand and oil collected by nearby catch basins has affected the natural habitat of the stream.
“We live in Maine, we deal with winter, we use salt and sand,” she said. “We’re just much more aware of the effect that can have on a habitat now.”
Pinard, Varricchione, DEP and Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District representatives and Long Creek Restoration Project members planned to meet with local landowners Tuesday to explore options to renew Long Creek.
“How can we structure the funding to ensure economic vitality in the area and improve Long Creek?” Pinard asked. “We need to find something reasonable.”
South Portland Water Resource Protection Director Patrick Cloutier said the city has already received $120,000 from a federal grant to help with the costs of the planning process for the management plan.
“The funds will be used for things like improving structural best management practices,” he said. “It’s really just implementing building aspects to improve the water quality of the creek.”
Long Creek Restoration Project Facilitator Anne Gosline said municipalities could be eligible for more grants as the project moves forward.
Landowners around the creek could also have an added incentive to “go green,” she said.
“We think there are ways you can have vibrant economic areas and still have access to the stream,” she said. “You could create trails, which could possibly raise property values.”
Gosline said a large step in restoring Long Creek is to remind property owners how important routine maintenance to drainage and storm water systems is. Pinard said malfunctioning or ineffective storm water systems can have a significant impact on the surrounding environment.
“Sometimes landowners just don’t know,” Gosline said.
Gosline said members of the Long Creek Restoration Project will take the input from local businesses to the table over the next few months as they develop a draft of the management plan for the Long Creek watershed, to be presented to the public in the fall. The final draft will ultimately be presented to each municipality for implementation, she said.
“This whole process is going to be really interesting,” Gosline said. “This could present opportunities as well as challenges.”
Cloutier said so far the process has been a positive one for business owners and members of the Long Creek Restoration Project.
“It’s been a really collaborative process,” he said. “The only reason we’ve seen the success we have is because everybody’s so interested in doing what they need to do to clean up the stream.”
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