PHILLIPS — After more than two decades, it’s official.

The lighthouse on Toothaker Pond. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“Because Toothaker Pond no longer supports nuisance algal blooms that would impair the designated uses of habitat for aquatic life and primary contact recreation, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposes this delisting,” stated Linda Bacon, Limnologist & Lake Assessment Section Leader, Maine DEP, in her official report, dated May 9, 2024.

Though the pond will remain on the department’s internal watch list, the report also states that “the lake has been free of nuisance algal blooms since 2021 and is now meeting the GPA Classification Standard of having ‘a stable or decreasing trophic state subject only to natural fluctuations, and (is) free of culturally induced algal blooms”.

Adrienne Rollo and her husband, John, bought a camp on Toothaker Pond in 1987. Adrienne recently shared the history of this well-known local treasure and the battle that has been waged to regain its recreational use for the public.

In talking with some of the long-time residents of Phillips, she learned very quickly that Toothaker Pond held many fond memories for much of the population, including swimming, boating and fishing, or just standing on the shore skimming rocks. Water quality issues in general actually began to appear in the early 1900s when the Berlin Mill, then located on the opposite side of the pond from Adrienne’s and John’s camp, was operating.

There were no environmental protection laws back then. Everything around the lake was leveled. There was a lot of erosion. The water quality of the lake began to go downhill. When the mill closed around 1910, water quality did start to improve somewhat.

In 1929, the Phillips Fish Hatchery opened at the headwaters of Meadow Brook, about three-quarters of a mile above Toothaker Pond.

“The effluent and other waste of a million fish came right into the pond,” Adrienne explained.

Because there is no “real” outlet other than “just a crude pile of rocks”, the phosphorus in that water “acted like Miracle-Gro” for the algae. It was about 1960 that folks began to notice that the pond was turning green from the algae blooms and, once that had started, the internal recycling process “fed itself”. Before long the formerly pristine pond had become “like pea soup”. According to some, there were dead frogs and no wildlife. The loons and the ducks disappeared.

With this information, Adrienne started asking more questions and “I surrounded myself with experts.”

Among those she contacted was Tom Saviello, who, at that time, was Environment Manager of the paper mill in Jay.

“Tom went to bat for us,” she explained, “He entered a bill into the Legislature regarding the necessity of cleaning up Toothaker Pond.”

Eventually, there were three bills. The DEP was being “balky” in their response to the issue.

“So we got the whole town jazzed up,” Adrienne declared.

A “whole caravan” traveled to Augusta. Senator Saviello introduced “his town” and presented “the damning evidence” contained in two files, along with a photograph, which became known as “the green photo”.

Along with her “snooping”, back in 2001, Adrienne and John did a bit of experimenting on their own to try to decrease the algal bloom. One of their first efforts included purchasing 75 bales of barley straw up in Presque Isle. Baled in Christmas tree netting, it was “rumored to cure algae ponds”. The bales, which were purported to have an 80% success rate, were placed around the pond with flotation devices. Word had it that these were “especially helpful” in little ponds.

However, as the couple soon learned, they don’t work in every situation.

“We went to Presque Isle for those bales,” Adrienne declared, “Spent $500… A lot of work for nothing.”

In 2004, Toothaker Pond was declared by the DEP to have “the total maximum daily load” of algal bloom and therefore was placed on “the polluted list”. This was good news in disguise as it would allow Adrienne et al to apply for a grant and monetary assistance.

By 2007, a lot of “grassroots interest” had been generated. A 90-minute presentation was made to The Opportunity Center of North Franklin County, “a good crew of professionals” and “sort of a local round table”. Two grants were awarded to the Opportunity Center for the benefit of the Toothaker Pond project.

The next step was the formation of The Toothaker Pond Association. At long last, they were awarded two grants. A team of professionals was enlisted, including one civil engineer, Melanie Davis, and one environmental engineer, Nancy O’Toole, who “were out front and doing all the legwork”.

Phillips resident, Bert Lambert, worked in the background. Representatives from the DEP and the Universities of Farmington and New Hampshire, and Colby College also joined the team. A “drawdown” was the first recommendation. Eighteen inches of water was let go from the dam at “the little outlet”.

Still, the numbers were “horrible” in 2009.

An application for a second grant from the Davis Foundation was made and local fundraising projects were ongoing. One such local effort brought in $4,000 from recycled cans and bottles.

“We were getting money from wherever we could,” Adrienne explained.

Between fundraising projects, the Davis grant, and whatever came in from the Toothaker Pond Association, the money was accumulated to build a permanent dam structure, a watertight enclosure pumped dry to permit construction work below the waterline. Burt Lambert, declared “a font of knowledge” by Adrienne, told her to go to Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation.

“That’s what they do,” he told her, “find you somebody who will do the project for a lot less…”

Lambert recommended Skip Pingree, who came to the Rollo’s house, reviewed the plans, and agreed to take the job. Knowing the Toothaker Pond Association didn’t have a lot of money, he offered his services for $14,000. When Adrienne informed him that “every dime we’ve got is $11,000″, his reply was “we’ll make it work”.

Next on the list was an engineer to run the project, be on site all the time. Back to the DEP. Leaving out all the details of that chapter, the Association, with everyone working together, “got the OK” and that last piece fell into place.

Thanks to the Association’s hard work, Adrienne’s determination, and the support of “a large portion of the town”, Adrienne concluded that “now we can lower (the water level) every summer, except during drought conditions…The phosphorous level has continued to tick down, getting a little better all the time…

In conclusion, Adrienne stated, “It’s worthy to note that when it was at its worst – like pea soup, your arm in up to the elbow and you couldn’t see your hand – now you can see the bottom, a true sign of good clarity. Once that clarity increased, the loons population increased. They have to be able to see beneath the surface to find the fish. Now they can see the fish.

“And there are no more deformed frogs,” she added,  “The loons are back, as well as a bald eagle that watches them. They catch the fish and the eagle steals it. The loon squawk, the eagle screams…”

Life has returned to the pond.

Adrienne said, “Now we see wildlife every day. The other day it was a bull moose swimming across the pond…And for the first time in a long while, I stood on the dock and could see the bottom (of the pond).

Saturday, August 17, the much-anticipated Old Home Days Bathtub Races will once again be held on Toothaker Pond at 3 p.m. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“People are swimming again, fishing, boating, kayaking, paddle-boating… And it isn’t just the camp owners. The whole community is using the pond again… and a tourist destination.”

And to top it all off, this weekend, Saturday, August 17, the much-anticipated Old Home Days Bathtub Races will once again be held on Toothaker Pond at 3 p.m.