Cumberland County Soil & Water District is expanding its fight against erosion and pollution on local waters this summer.
Thanks to an increase in federal aid, two new youth conservation teams began work this year on the Presumpscot River and Little Sebago Lake in Windham.
On Monday, the Presumpscot River Youth Conservation Corps planted more than 60 trees – mostly red maple and birch trees – on both the Windham and Standish side of the Presumpscot River just south of where Sebago Lake feeds the 27-mile long river.
The hope is that the tree roots will take hold and help stabilize the riverbank, said Lisa Vickers, technical director of the conservation team.
“The river is more of a challenge because it rises and lowers so much,” Vickers said.
Each summer, the Cumberland County Soil & Water, a local non-profit environmental group, hires local high school students to be seasonal stewards of local waters through their “Youth Conservation Corps.”
These conservation teams work tirelessly through the summer heat to plant vegetation, shape private roads and place rocks along lakefront and riverbanks to lessen domestic pollution and soil run-off into the water.
Excess soil and sand in the water changes the ecology of rivers and lakes by producing algae blooms and stifling fish habitat.
Throughout the summer, the Presumpcot River Youth Corps will attack the problem of erosion at different parts of the river as it runs south through Westbrook and on to Casco Bay.
Along the way, the crew will place stone, known as “rip-rap,” and mulch paths to popular fishing spots to deter erosion.
When the students are not hauling stone or planting vegetation buffers, the conservation corps goes door-to-door to inform neighbors what they can do to prevent pollution to the water.
Last week, the Presumpscot River Corps spray-painted storm drains throughout Windham with the words, “Protect our waters. Don’t dump,” to educate people that whatever goes down the drain is not filtered like sewer water and returns directly to lakes and streams.
The conservation corps is also an opportunity for students pursuing a career in environmental science to get their hands dirty in real-life environmental advocacy.
“The water is getting contaminated and I’m actually doing something about it,” said Warren Taylor, a Falmouth graduate who intends to study environmental science at the University of Maine in Orono next fall.
The education piece is a large part of Cumberland County Soil & Water’s goal, and through the conservation corps, the group hopes to pass this education to the next generation of potential environmentalists.
“What we’re trying to do is education,” said Betty Williams, project manager for the conservation teams. “If we can get high schoolers interested in erosion control, they at least can carry that the rest of their lives to become future watershed stewards.”
For the past six years, the Highland Lake Youth Conservation Corps has worked to improve water quality by shaping private roads to prevent sand and gravel run-off into the lake. It has also helped lakefront neighbors plant shrubs and gardens to hold the soil in place.
The Highland Lake Corps is joined this year by the Little Sebago Lake Youth Conservation Corps, a conservation team doing the same work along the winding camp roads that wrap around Little Sebago.
Next year, Cumberland County Soil & Water plans to create another youth conservation team to work on erosion prevention on Long Lake in Naples.
These new youth conservation teams are made possible by a $750,000 grant received by the Presumpscot River Watershed Coalition, a collaboration of local and state environmental groups.
While the work may be backbreaking and sweat-drenching at times, crewmembers often take a quick dip in the water to cool off.
In addition to being a chance to work outside during the summer time, it allows the conservation students to be engaged in preserving the environment in which they live.
“The environment gives so much to us that we need to give back to it,” said Michael Cote, a Cheverus High School student from Windham.
Jeremy Lowell and Jess Curlew dig a hole on the bank of the Presumpscot River to plant a maple tree. These two Windham High School students are part of a “Youth Conservation Corps” working this summer to prevent erosion and pollution along the river.Send questions/comments to the editors.
