30 Mile River Watershed Association

Invasive species prevention and management: Invasive species are one of the biggest threats in our watershed. To safeguard against this threat, we have a multi-tiered approach. Courtesy boat inspectors (CBIs) are our "first line of defense" in preventing invasive species hitchhiking on boats and trailers from entering our lakes from other water bodies. Our CBIs include both paid staff and volunteers. They work at public boat launches throughout the watershed checking boats and trailers for invasives, and also educating boaters. In 2022, CBIs conducted 2,584 inspections during 1,849 hours. Although it is rare for our CBIs to find an invasive, all it takes is one fragment to start an infestation and ruin a lake. Because detecting an invasive aquatic plant infestation early is vital, we train and support volunteers to conduct annual aquatic plant surveys of our lakes and ponds, working in partnership with Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM). When any suspicious plants are found, we identify the species, working with Maine DEP and LSM when needed. When an invasive species does enter a lake and starts an infestation, a rapid and aggressive response is critical, before it spreads. Since it was first found in 2020, 30 Mile has managed the infestation of invasive variable milfoil in Androscoggin Lake, working in partnership with Maine DEP and the lake association. May-October, our staff surveyed the infested area, marking all invasive plants found to then be removed by a diver on our team. We worked intensely all season, removing all invasive plants found, and saw very little regrowth, showing our efforts are working. We also support the lake association's volunteer team to conduct a complete survey of the rest of the lake.

LakeSmart and Youth Conservation Corps - Supporting Landowners to be Better Stewards: LakeSmart is a statewide education and reward program that helps lakefront property owners manage their properties in ways that will protect water quality. The program is free, non-regulatory, and voluntary. 30 Mile is a regional LakeSmart support center, helping our member lake association volunteer teams deliver LakeSmart education property-by-property to build a culture of lake protection throughout the watershed. The program provides support for remediation, and recognizes those whose properties earn the LakeSmart award. In 2022, volunteers and 30 Mile staff completed evaluations for 30 landowners. Our Youth Conservation Corps works on the ground to address erosion problems to improve water quality. The crew is comprised of high school and college students. They reduce soil erosion and polluted runoff through cost-share projects completed in partnership with landowners, such as path stabilization, vegetative buffers, and rain gardens. In 2022 the crew installed 33 best management practices at nine project sites on five lakes throughout the watershed.

Outreach, Education and Action: 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 1200 subscribers and a high open rate of 65% (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 new project to develop a new center for watershed protection. Thanks to a generous donor, 30 Mile purchased a building to become our first home in the watershed. In the heart of Mount Vernon Village in a highly visible location that is central to the watershed, the building will provide essential space to help the organization grow to better fulfill our mission. Once the building is renovated the new integrated facility will serve as a regional center for watershed education, research, protection and community engagement. Spaces will include a large education/community meeting room, exhibits, water quality lab, offices, and field equipment storage.