30 Mile River Watershed Association

Water Quality Monitoring:Through our monitoring program, we collect extensive data to track the health of our lakes and ponds. Every two weeks, from May through October, we measure water clarity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus and other indicators of water quality. We analyze the data and produce an annual report for each lake and pond. This data helps us identify trends in declining water quality to address at-risk areas before it's too late. In 2024, our 9th season of monitoring, we monitored 13 lakes and ponds, completing 115 monitoring trips. We worked alongside 35 dedicated volunteers who assisted us with both data collection and on-water transportation (continues on schedule O). In 2024, 30 Mile also conducted a fourth season of intensified monitoring on Androscoggin Lake, which suffered from lake-wide algal blooms in 2021, 2023 and 2024. In response to the blooms, this program included extensive monitoring of the lake, its tributaries, and the Dead River to better understand the dynamics of phosphorus. We work closely with Maine DEP to analyze collected data to help us determine the best strategies to address the problem.

Land Use Management: To protect water quality in the watershed's lakes, ponds and streams, 30 Mile implements a variety of programs and projects. Providing technical support, guidance, and education for towns, landowners and road associations to promote lake protection is a key goal. In 2024, we began a two-year project on Androscoggin Lake, funded in part through a $150K grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, and administered by Maine DEP in partnership with EPA. In 2024, we were awarded a $64K grant for Parker Pond through the same grant program. These grants fund projects to help communities restore and protect priority waters (continues on schedule O) by reducing erosion and polluted runoff. Through this work, we are able to bring significant funding and technical expertise to towns, road associations and landowners to take on important lake-protection projects that otherwise wouldn't be possible. Further supporting this goal, 30 Mile wrote two successful grant proposals for the Town of Vienna to address key road crossings that have repeatedly suffered from severe washouts and road failures, and that significantly threaten water quality in downstream lakes and ponds. A grant of $50K from the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund will be used to hire an engineer to complete the scoping, design, and permitting to upgrade three stream crossings on town roads. The second grant was Vienna's first Climate Action Grant through Maine's Community Resilience Partnership. This $50K grant will fund an engineered design at a fourth high-priority culvert crossing, along with the project management, grant writing, and cash match needed to apply for grants to support the construction of these costly culvert upgrades. A core part of 30 Mile's work is assisting landowners by recommending lake-friendly practices to reduce harmful erosion. 30 Mile is a regional LakeSmart "hub," providing technical support for this statewide program that educates lakefront homeowners to help them manage their properties in ways that protect water quality. Our watershed's five volunteer lake teams and our staff conduct free site visits for landowners. In 2024, together we completed property evaluations for eleven landowners and delivered LakeSmart education throughout the watershed to help build a conservation ethic across the lake community. In 2024, we also launched a new initiative to improve shoreline buffers, planting over 300 live stakes on shorefront properties infested with an invasive species, then turned green with an algal bloom, and a second became infested with another invasive, threatening all lakes and ponds downstream. To respond to the growing need, 30 Mile has embarked on an exciting new project, creating a new center for lake protection. This integrated facility will provide essential space for public education, a water quality laboratory, and our growing staff. Phase I was nearly completed in 2024.

Community Engagement: A significant part of our work aims to engage the community through education and raising awareness about lake protection and the role each person can play. A major tool in this effort is our monthly email newsletter, which has 1650 subscribers and a high open rate of 61% (the average is only 39% for nonprofits). We also communicate through social media, and frequent articles in lake association newsletters, town reports, and more. We maintain a dynamic website. We engage in-person with the public through presentations at lake association, town, and road association annual meetings; select board meetings; and special events. We hold free workshops on topics including invasive plants and LakeSmart, and conduct free on-site lake property assessments. We also hold our Annual Paddle Trek, a 15-mile guided paddle where participants explore many of the lakes, ponds and streams in our watershed. To greatly expand our in-person connection with our community and our ability to provide educational opportunities, in 2022 we embarked on an exciting project to develop a new center for lake protection in Mt. Vernon Village. By revitalizing an abandoned building in the heart of the Village, we will create a new space for the community to work together to protect our beloved lakes and ponds. The center will house a large community meeting room, educational exhibits, a water quality lab, an equipment and tool library, and 30 Mile's headquarters. In 2024, we completed construction of Phase I of the project, renovating both floors of the barn. Phase II design work will begin in 2025.