04-12-2008 11:59:44

Another two years for Tri-Watershed Project

Representatives of the Webber, Three-Mile, and Three-cornered lake associations met with Maine DEP and soil and water conservationists at Vassalboro Town Hall July 13th to discuss the "319" project. Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act authorizes the US EPA to fund pollution control projects to improve water quality in lakes and streams.
    The targeted pollution is known as 'non point source' (NPS) and includes things like stormwater runoff from lawns, farms, and roads. Eroding camp roads are a well-known culprit of NPS pollution in Maine. The goal of the project is to demonstrate "best management practices," which range from replacement of failing culverts, better road design, stabilization of eroding shoreline, and planting vegetated buffers.  
    The 319 project is in its second year. Last year, project partners implemented erosion-control practices at over a dozen sites in the Tri-Watershed of Webber, Three Mile, and Three-Cornered Ponds. Most of these sites were areas of shorefront erosion that were shored up with a combination of rip-rap and vegetation. The Youth Conservation Corps, organized by the  China Region Lakes Alliance, accomplished most of this work and is ready to assist landowners again this summer. A number of other sites are in progress, supervised by the Kennebec Soil and Water Conservation District. These types of sites tend to be road repairs that require heavy machinery. Participating landowners share in the cost.  The addition of another source of funding from Maine DEP and Department of Agriculture means that an additional $50,000 was added to the Tri-Watershed project, which is well underway this summer and will extend into summer and fall of 2007. 
    Interested landowners should contact one of the project managers to arrange for a site visit or to get more information about the project. Several public workshops are also in planning. Thank you for your interest in improving the water quality of the Tri-Watershed!     Submitted by Jennifer McLean, Kennebec Soil and Water Conservation District.