Aroostook County/St. John Valley Success Stories
(Fort Kent Field Office)

Nutrient and Sediment Control System Completed

The Natural Resources Conservation Service provided technical assistance to the St. John Valley Soil and Water Conservation District in the Daigle Pond Watershed.  The District coordinated a 319 water quality state grant in this watershed.  The District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service staff worked with private landowners to come up with conservation practices that would help reduce the amount of sediment entering into the pond.

A component of the overall watershed plan was the construction of a water quality structure up slope from Daigle Pond.  This Nutrient and Sediment Control System will intercept runoff water from cropland fields and filter the water before it travels into Daigle Pond.  It basically acts as a trap to keep excess sediment from entering into the pond, located at the base of the hill.

The 2-acre land area needed to install this water quality structure was donated by a lifelong potato farmer who has recently entered into the beef cattle business.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service had earlier completed a survey and a design for this conservation system.  Components of the system included a diversion, sediment basin, level lip spreader, rock check dam, and finally the pond itself.  The contractor and his crew had basically no experience in building this type of system, so assistance provided by the local Natural Resources Conservation Service was invaluable.  Completion of this conservation system marks closure to the entire 319 project.  Both landowners and inhabitants along Daigle Pond are pleased with the improved water quality.

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