Work to Improve Goodall Brook Nears Completion
Press Release
Work on the second phase of an EPA/DEP 319 water quality improvement grant to improve the conditions found in Goodall Brook running through Sanford is nearing completion. Over the summer, several key tasks have been completed including re-directing the brook’s flow back to its original stream-bed through Soldiers and Sailors Park, and introducing woody tree root structures farther downstream above Berwick Street to create flow diversity where channelization of the stream and sedimentation build-up over time has caused stagnant flows and low dissolved oxygen levels. This addition of woody debris into the stream will also serve to improve aquatic habitat.
Also achieved this summer under the grant was the installation of a tree box filter on Kimball Street as part of the City’s Westside Village improvement projects. The tree box filter will collect stormwater runoff from the street and treat it by filtering it through tree roots and a special blend of engineered soil media. The grant also supported a group of teacher led SHS students to periodically take and test water samples with the help of the laboratory at the Sanford Sewerage District. Additionally, as part of the City of Sanford’s match for the grant funds, City staff have been hard at work developing a technical manual as a reference for residents and contractors. This manual will serve as a consolidated resource that will outline accepted standards for construction, stormwater management, transportation, erosion control, and more. This manual is expected to be completed in spring of 2022.
The Grant Steering Committee is planning to hold a final meeting in January to review their work and decide if a third phase of the grant should be applied for.
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. For more information on the Goodall Brook Restoration projects, please contact Mindee Goodrum, Project Manager at the York County Soil and Water Conservation District at mgoodrum@yorkswcd.org or Matthew Hill, Director of Sanford Public Works at mehill@sanfordmaine.org.
