Central Aroostook County Success Stories 
(Presque Isle Field Office)

Smith Farm Nutrient and Sediment Control Structure

A small but dedicated group of individuals gathered to mark the completion of a multi-year conservation project.  The project, administered by the Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District and largely funded by a grant from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Department of Agriculture, involved the construction of a Nutrient and Sediment Control Structure on the Smith Farm in Westfield.

The Nutrient and Sediment Control Structure was designed and engineered by staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and is constructed to capture suspended sediments and nutrients that drain off approximately 100 acres of surrounding farmland.  Through a series of diversions, catch-basins and holding ponds, runoff water is contained and slowed, allowing the sediment to settle out.  These nutrient-rich topsoil particles, called "fines," can then be periodically dredged from the ponds, stockpiled, and eventually distributed back on the farmland.  This allows the grower to reclaim and reuse soil and nutrients that would otherwise be lost to naturally-occurring erosion.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service estimates indicate that the system will capture nearly 15 tons of sediment annually.

In addition to the funding partners noted above, other participants and contributors included:  United States Environmental Protection Agency, Fred McGillan & Company of Fort Fairfield, Star Design and Marketing of Caribou, and Smith's Farm, Inc. of Westfield.

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