Efforts to protect Maine's watersheds
receive infusion of federal assistance
Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
About $260,000 in federal funds have been awarded to local lake and river organizations this year.
The money will help pay for projects that control erosion and prevent lake-choking sediments from spilling into water bodies.
For about 10 years, grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have trickled through the Maine Department of Environmental Protection down to local programs that prevent erosion.
But these funds do more than just help.
"It's pretty much the only money out there for these sort of things," said Reb Manthey, executive director of the China Region Lakes Association.
China Lake gained national notoriety in the mid-1980s for experiencing rapidly declining water quality and massive algae blooms fed by runoff. Since then, considerable state and federal funding, as well as grassroots efforts, have helped merely to stabilize its water quality.
"You can't just say, 'Today I fixed the lake. I'm done,' " Manthey said.
Although her association receives funding almost every other year from the "319" grants -- named after Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act that provides such funds -- she said competition is still considered stiff.
"Five or six years ago, we used to be the only game in town," Manthey said.
Some 23 organizations applied for the grants, said Norm Marcotte of the Department of Environmental Protection. More than $770,000 was awarded to 14 of these, with some individual projects receiving as much as $96,000, others as little as $9,000.
"In Maine, almost all the money we have (for such projects) comes from federal funding," Marcotte said.
The agencies that apply for the grants have to gather additional, local funds to meet the award requirements, said Jennifer McLean, watershed project director for the Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation District. In most cases, communities meet or exceed the necessary goal.
"We've been very lucky," McLean said.
About 80 percent of the district's funds are provided through the federal grants, with the rest coming from donations and paid services such as GPS mapping.
"A large part of what we do is managing 319 projects," McLean said.
Currently, the district is involved with 10 projects -- all funded with federal grants. This year, erosion-control projects along Pleasant Pond and the West branch of the Sheepscot River were given almost $150,000.
The grant money goes to two basic projects: erosion surveys and erosion repairs.
"If you have a horrible camp road, you call me up and we fix it," Manthey, of the China Region Lakes Association, said.
Plant and stone buffers are created along banks, runoff is redirected and gravel roads are paved or fixed.
One project the association will manage is repair of a failing culvert on Camp Road. Spring floods have washed chunks of the road into China Lake and have created huge sinkholes.
"We're talking big sinkholes," Manthey said. "Like my truck is going to get sucked in and never come out."
Trout Unlimited was given $49,450 in funds to help survey erosion problems along Bond Brook, where development and ATV trails are increasing erosion that may influence the condition of the water.
"What we would like to do is find out how to keep it from tipping over the edge," said Curtis Bohlen, a restoration ecologist with Trout Unlimited. "What are the tactics we can use to manage that stream and protect is as much as possible."
Glen Bolduc -- 623-3811, Ext. 431
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