Volunteers Needed for Goodall Brook Clean-Up
Prior to the start of alteration work to the stream channel to be done by environmental contractors later this year, the Steering Committee overseeing the restoration of Goodall Brook is seeking community volunteers to help with a general clean-up on Wednesday, May 26 of two of the intended worksites. The clean-up is being organized by Steering Committee members led by Sanford High School science teachers Beth Marass and Lindsay Strout, retired city engineer Mike Casserly, and York County Soil and Water Conservation District Project Manager Mindee Goodrum. Members of the SHS environmental club and a number of retired community members are also planning to attend.
Trash bags, rakes, and shovels will be provided by the Sanford DPW and Parks & Rec Department. Work gloves will be provided by SHS, and refreshments and snacks will be provided by one of the landowners along the worksite area. Waterproof boots are recommended for those participating. The event will occur from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Volunteers are asked to meet at the first worksite in Soldiers & Sailors Park before moving on to the second site off Seneca Ave. Volunteers will also be helping the City to meet its match portion of the grant by crediting the time spent at $24.21/hour for each volunteer.
If you’d like to help out, contact Mindee Goodrum at 207-432-3516 or mgoodrum@yorkswcd.org to let her know you’ll be there.
Following the clean-up, environmental contractors will mobilize at the two sites later this summer to install log constriction structures in the stream channel, which was previously artificially channelized, leading to slow and stagnant flows and low dissolved oxygen levels. These structures are intended to diversify flow patterns in Goodall Brook and improve its environmental health. Woody debris also provides important habitat for many aquatic organisms.
Funding for this project, in part, was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. The funding is administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with EPA. This is the second such grant awarded to Sanford for this clean-up. The initial grant focused attention in the Roberts Street area. These grants were awarded to help Sanford restore Goodall Brook to at least Maine State Class B standards, which it did not meet in the early 2000’s. The grant also includes ongoing sampling and monitoring of the water to chart progress.
Future work intended to be completed under the grant includes the installation of two tree box filters to treat stormwater runoff, and the development of a City Technical Manual to advise on standards and best practices for environmentally conscious development.
