Picture credit: Fred Hsu / Creative Commons
The Ogunquit Conservation Commission, the Town of Ogunquit, FB Environmental Associates, and Maine DEP are working together on continual water quality initiatives, including the Ogunquit River Restoration Project Phase I, Phase II and Coastal Communities Grant, to improve water quality and reduce bacteria levels in the Ogunquit River watershed and at its public beaches.
Background/History
The Ogunquit River Watershed Restoration Project aims to improve and protect water quality in the Ogunquit River and its estuary. The estuary is listed as one of Maine’s impaired waterbodies due to high levels of fecal indicator bacteria from a pet, wildlife, or human waste, which can enter the river in stormwater runoff or from malfunctioning septic systems and leaky sewer lines. The public beaches in Ogunquit experience heavy recreational use, including swimming, boating, fishing, and recreational clamming, by well over a million residents and visitors each year. The Ogunquit River watershed is rich in diverse, rare, and endangered plant and animal species documented by the Maine DIFW and the Maine Natural Areas Program.
You can read the entire report including Phase I and Phase II of the Ogunquit River Restoration at the Town of Ogunquit website
