Lakes and Streams

Today, many land-use decisions are being made on a watershed basis. A watershed is the area of land that supplies water to a lake or river system. All activities miles away can affect water quality. Many lakes are at risk from pollution sources and state agencies can only do so much. It is up to us, Maine's citizens, to recognize these sources of pollution and learn to correct these problems. Our signature education program is the Watershed Stewards Program. To read about our program's impacts, see our Program Evaluation.

Through effective partnerships with other State agencies, University of Maine Cooperative Extension's water quality efforts are growing and making an impact in Maine. Please contact Laura Wilson with any questions or requests for assistance!

• We reach lake communities through the Watershed Stewards Program. Through this program, we teach Maine citizens to identify and correct sources of contamination to lakes and rivers, many of which are at risk from non-point source pollution.

• We will train lake association members in outreach and leadership techniques, to help them become more effective organizations.

• We are available to work with teachers, to demonstrate new and interesting ways to get water quality education into the classroom. We partner with the George Mitchell Center on the UMaine campus to deliver Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) trainings. We have brought the University of Vermont's Watershed Alliance to Maine through our partnership with the Bangor Area Stormwater Group, placing an AmeriCorps volunteer with us to work with area schools.

• We participate in Children's Water Festivals and Envirothons on a regular basis, to reach the middle- and high-school kids.

• We also are available to assist homeowners with their questions related to private ponds, drinking water, septic systems, and land use / nonpoint source pollution potential assessments.