Protecting water from pollution as southern Maine develops depends upon collaboration across town boundaries. The Protecting Our Children’s Water, 2005 – 2025 project is a proactive, regional approach to water protection and management. The approach has been implemented in two southern Maine watersheds to date: the Merriland, Branch, Little River (MBLR) watershed (in Sanford, Kennebunk, and Wells) and the York River watershed (in South Berwick, Eliot, York, and Kittery).

The project is based on field surveys of pollution sources in these two watersheds and resulting Maine DEP-approved watershed management plans. Both the surveys and the management plans were completed with strong citizen and municipal support from all towns in each of the watersheds. These supporters have come together to form the MBLR and York River watershed councils.

The watershed councils are comprised of regional partner organizations, as well as municipal staff and board members directly involved in protecting and managing water in their towns. The councils prioritize items addressing both town and regional needs for clean water. They then make a commitment to cooperate on their goals for periods of fours months at a time. The MBLR watershed council has reaffirmed its commitment three times to date. The York River council is in its first four months of cooperation.

For more information, please contact Kristen Grant