HARRISON – One of the greatest threats to the ecosystem of Island Pond might be the earth itself.

Jeff Stern, a watershed specialist working with the Island Pond Watershed Association, said the chief threat to Maine’s lakes is soil erosion, which carries phosphorus into the water. This in turn can feed a bloom of algae that will engulf the entire pond, precluding recreational activities such as boating and swimming.

Stern is hoping the process can be nipped in the bud with a survey of the 1,243 acres that make up the watershed of Island Pond, which has a surface area of 115 acres. He is seeking volunteers to help with the project.

Other partners for the survey include the Lakes Environmental Association, the Fernwood Cove Summer Camp for Girls, the Portland Water District, and the towns of Harrison and Waterford.

According to a news release from Stern, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has placed Island Pond on its list of watersheds most at risk from erosion. The survey will identify problem areas in the watershed, and the association will apply to the state Department of Environmental Protection for grant money to fix them.

A recent survey on the McWain Pond watershed found 95 erosion sites.

“The good news,” said Stern, “is that most of those are small and would be easy and inexpensive to fix.”

Stern said dirt roads and driveways within the watershed will contribute to the erosion if they are not properly shaped to divert water. Island Pond Road runs along a sparsely vegetated slope down to the water, and Stern expects one recommendation will be to put more plant life there.

He also said turnouts may be used to divert eroding soil into the woods and drip line trenches to protect soil from water running off house roofs.

Island Pond is a popular spot for boating and fishing. It is also the site of the Fernwood Cove Summer Camp for Girls, which, according to the camp’s Web site, takes in 400 campers per summer.

Stern said an algae bloom would destroy the pond’s fish life and drive down property values on the lake.

“Pollution prevention is the key,” he said.

Volunteer training for the project begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at Fernwood Cove’s dining hall. For more information contact Stern at 583-2723.