Successful first season for the 2006 Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance Youth Conservation Corps
by Alix Marcoux, Technical Director, AWWA YCC
September 2006
The Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance (AWWA) Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) successfully completed its first season. The mission of AWWA is to preserve or restore the water quality in the area by implementing best management practices (BMPs) to help control storm water runoff and erosion. With a crew of local youths and a crew leader from the University of New Hampshire Forestry Department the YCC completed 10 projects at properties on lakes throughout Acton and Wakefield.
Projects were selected from applicants in the watersheds that had significant runoff or erosion issues. The technical director met with the homeowner and created an environmentally sound landscape design that was mindful of the homeowner's desired use of the space. Once the design was completed, the homeowner purchased all the necessary materials for completion of the project and the YCC provided all the labor. Springvale Nurseries in Sanford, Maine generously offered participants 10% off all plant purchases with a YCC signed letter of agreement.
The projects on Balch, Belleau, Great East, and Lovell Lakes all focused on controlling and diverting storm water runoff and the resulting sediment before it reached the lakes. Among some of the BMPs installed by the crew, consisting of high school students from Acton, Middleton, and Wakefield, were five dripline trenches, four rain gardens, six vegetative buffers, and five rubber razors. The crew worked as a team to plant over 100 plants, spread nearly 100 yards of mulch and soil, and lug approximately 20 yards of crushed stone. The crew worked tirelessly for 8 weeks during their summer breaks and should be applauded for their contributions to the watershed.
In addition to completing 10 YCC projects, AWWA also provided technical assistance to 35 homeowners on Balch Lake, Belleau Lake, Great East Lake, Horn Pond, Lovell Lake, Pine River Pond, Province Lake, Wilson Pond, and Woodman Lake. Homeowners were given a plan and asked to sign a pledge sheet stating that they would implement at least one of the recommendations on the plan within the next year. Along with the plan, property owners were provided with BMP fact sheets outlining proper installation and maintenance of the recommended BMPs.
The AWWA YCC was well received by the public at our end of the year tour and we have already secured several projects for next summer. We are aiming to complete at least 20 projects during the next YCC season. Homeowner's interested in receiving technical assistance and possibly host the YCC during the 2007 season should contact the technical director by May at 603-473-2500 or awwa@adelphia.net
The AWWA YCC is thankful to the towns of Acton, Maine and Wakefield, New Hampshire for their generous support of the organization. AWWA also appreciates the donations made by the following lake associations: Balch Lake Improvement Association, Belleau Lake Property Owners Association, Great East Lake Improvement Association, Lovell Lake Association, Pine River Pond Association, and Wilson Lake Association. AWWA is also grateful for the generous contributions from area businesses and donors including Miller Ford of Sanford, Marden's in Sanford, Eagle Storage in Wakefield, Springvale Nurseries in Sanford, and the Alden Young Trust. The AWWA YCC operates in part on a grant from the NH DES 319 Watershed Assistance and Restoration Program.
Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance
254 Main St. PO Box 235
Union, NH 03887
603.473.2500
awwa@adelphia.net
