WATERFORD — The second year of erosion control efforts at McWain Pond has resulted in the prevention of an additional 60 tons of soil getting into the pond. In 2008, 22 tons were kept out of it.

The erosion control project is being conducted by the McWain Pond Association, which includes the Lakes Environmental Association, town of Waterford, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Camp Waziyatah, Birch Rock Camp, the Portland Water District, and landowners in the pond’s 3.9-square-mile watershed.

Jeff Stern, a watershed specialist with Fiddlehead Environmental Consulting, said a greater amount of erosion prevention was established in 2009 because of more knowledge of the issues and planning. He said the group often met with Waterford’s road commissioner during the winter so a plan was in place by the spring.

One major erosion site was a 300-foot ditch along Mill Hill Road that washed large amounts of soil into the pond. With a $1,815 contribution from the town that matched one provided by the association, the town crew reshaped the ditch and lined it with stone and geotextile fabric. A sediment pool was also built at the end of the ditch to capture soil and debris before it entered the pond.

Soil erosion is seen as a threat to water bodies because it washes phosphorus, a plant nutrient, into the aquatic environments where it does not appear in high quantities. Increased levels of phosphorus can fuel algal blooms, which inhibit recreational use of water bodies and also reduce the values of properties on the shore.

A 2006 survey found 95 erosion sites in the McWain Pond watershed. Stern said the association has addressed 30 of the sites, including the higher priority ones, and expects to complete work on another six by the end of the project. The association also fixed 10 erosion sites contributing to McWain Pond that were found outside of the watershed survey area.

In 2008, the association received a $42,000 federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency after the funds were distributed through the DEP. The group has since achieved their $28,000 matching amount through cash donations as well as volunteer labor and supplies.

The project is scheduled to end Sept. 30. The association will continue to educate landowners on the use of erosion control techniques such as vegetative buffers. Stern said continuing maintenance will also be required to ensure that the erosion buffers continue to be beneficial.

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A 300-foot ditch along Mill Hill Road in Waterford contributed heavily to erosion into McWain Pond before it was repaired in 2009. The town road crew reshaped the ditch, lined it with stone and geotextile fabric, and built a sediment pool on one end.