Capisic Brook Watershed
Who
Us, our dogs, our yards, and our cars are all potential sources of pollution.
What
Capisic Brook isn’t healthy - it doesn’t have enough oxygen in the water for fish and their food (aquatic bugs) and it gets A LOT of water moving fast during storms which can cause erosion and muddy the water. Poor water conditions in Capisic Brook can lead to poor water conditions in Capisic Pond like the pond getting filled back in with soil and cattails again.
Where
Capisic Brook is about 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers long with a drainage area of 1,400 acres or 5.5 square kilometers. Almost all of the watershed is located in Portland but a small portion is located in Westbrook by Exit 48.
When
Every time it rains or snow and ice melts, the stormwater runoff washes trash, fertilizers, dog waste, soil, car oil, road salt, and other pollutants into storm drains that go right into the brook!
Why
Capisic Brook watershed is over 31% developed, that means roads, houses, schools, parking lots, and other hard surfaces that water can’t soak into, so it has to travel on top of until it can find a storm drain or soft surface like the forest to soak into.
Since the watershed is experiencing high new development and redevelopment to increase housing, businesses, and community resources, more effort needs to be provided to reduce stormwater pollution and manage the increased stormwater runoff.
City Actions
The City of Portland is also working in the Capisic Brook watershed to improve water quality by:
Sweeping streets
Removing combined sewer overflows (CSO)
Encouraging redevelopment
Building structured parking and reducing unnecessary parking requirements
Implementing land care ordinances to reduce pesticide and fertilizer applications
Monitoring winter storms, calibrating equipment, and following safe standards to avoid over applying road salt
Implementing the Capisic Brook watershed management plan
Did You Know?
Reducing stormwater pollutants like soil erosion, fertilizer, and dog waste in the watershed help protect the community’s multi-million dollar investment in the restoration of Capisic Pond Park.
P.S. Capisic Pond isn’t really a pond.
The “pond” was created when Capisic Brook backed up behind an impounded area by Capisic Street.