CPA President’s Welcome Message
Dear New Neighbors,
Welcome to the Clemons Pond community!
The Clemons Pond Association (CPA) is a voluntary association of area residents, year-round and seasonal, who collaborate to enjoy our ponds and community in numerous ways – protecting the pristine waters of the watershed, enjoying our annual picnic together, sharing baby loon sightings, or staying abreast of relevant news and events from the Hiram area or the state of Maine.
The CPA was founded in 1978 with the purpose of providing a forum for the discussion of mutual concerns, to undertake civic projects, and to promote the mutual benefit of its members. We have a proud history of monitoring and managing water quality, (with data harkening back to 1988), inspecting the pond for invasive aquatic plants, and encouraging erosion control and best practices in lakeside living through the LakeSmart program (see below). Additional environmental protection for the pond is provided by a Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (see below) enacted by the Town of Hiram that regulates activities such as land clearing and construction. We view ourselves as stewards of a magnificent resource to enjoy and preserve for generations to come and hope that you feel the same way.
The CPA is comprised of about 25 families from around the watershed of (Big) Clemons Pond and Little Clemons Pond, and has four volunteer officer positions, as well as a volunteer board comprised of current and former officers. The members typically meet twice per year (in person and via videoconference). There are many opportunities to contribute – from becoming an invasive plant patroller, a LakeSmart evaluator, a picnic host, or social event organizer. We welcome and encourage our new neighbors to get involved with their energy and ideas.
Whether you are relocating to the ponds year-round or only for summer months, we offer you a warm welcome and invite you to reach out, join our next meeting, and become part of the community! Check out our website at www.clemonspond.com, use the Contact page to reach us, or email us at clemonspond@gmail.com.
LakeSmart Program
One of the primary goals of the Clemons Pond Association (CPA) is to protect the health and beauty of the pond we live on, not only for our use but for future generations as well. To that end we became involved with the Maine Lakes LakeSmart program in 2015. Since 2015 our trained volunteers have evaluated 16 of the 44 properties on Clemons Pond and 14 have been LakeSmart certified. In 2021 Maine Lakes recognized the efforts of the CPA’s members who participate in the LakeSmart program by presenting the CPA with the LakeSmart Gold Award.
What is it?
LakeSmart is a program of Maine Lakes run in the Lake Region by the Lakes Environmental Association. The program educates landowners about best practices to protect the lakes they live on. The goal is to reduce or eliminate erosion and stormwater runoff because it carries pollutants, including phosphorus, a primary driver of algae growth.
How does it work?
Interested owners can request a free and informative property evaluation. The evaluation involves a LakeSmart volunteer walking your property with you looking at different criteria that affect lake health. Some questions the volunteers are looking to answer are:
- Is there erosion on the driveway?
- Are pathways limited and protected with mulch or other stable ground cover?
- How thick is the vegetated buffer between the house and the lake?
- Is there erosion on the shoreline?
- How often is the septic system pumped out?
- Is the leach field healthy? (No woody plants or obvious malfunction)
The evaluation report provides recommendations intended to make your property more lake-friendly by eliminating and preventing erosion or other pollution.
If your property meets LakeSmart requirements, you get the LakeSmart award! Each award is accompanied by two distinctive signs intended for display at the shoreline and at the road. These signs encourage lake-friendly practices by other neighbors around your lake.
For more information visit the Maine Lakes website.
To schedule a LakeSmart evaluation of your property contact the CPA at clemonspond@gmail.com. We would love to tell you more about the program.
Hiram Shoreland Zoning Ordinance & Code Enforcement
Clemons Pond and Little Clemons Pond are situated in the Town of Hiram, Maine (www.townofhiram.org). In 2019 Hiram adopted a Shoreland Zoning Ordinance whose purpose is to protect bodies of water from environmental degradation by regulating certain activities on and near the water. The ordinance applies to all land areas within up to 250 feet of the ponds’ shorelines. It greatly restricts, and in some cases prohibits, activities such as excavation, clearing land, cutting trees, and building structures including houses, outbuildings, patios, decks and docks. The CPA believes compliance with the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance is very important for keeping the water in Clemons Ponds as clean as possible, thus preventing unsightly and dangerously unhealthy algae blooms that would lessen everyone’s enjoyment of the pond.
If you plan to develop or alter your property, please do not use any existing properties around the ponds as examples of what is permitted in the way of land clearing, tree cutting or structure building. Many of the properties may not comply with the ordinance but are legal only because they existed prior to 2019 and were grandfathered under the ordinance.
For the benefit of the ponds, you, and all your neighbors, the CPA strongly encourages you to contact Hiram’s Code Enforcement Officer before you make plans for your property. The CEO can answer any questions you have about the ordinance and required permits, help ensure your plans will comply with the regulations, and thus help keep Clemons Ponds clean, healthy, and beautiful. Thank you!