Habitat Conservation

Over the next few years the Kennebec SWCD and its various conservation partners will be involved with a variety of projects addressing habitat conservation. This ranges in projects addressing barrier removal in streams to invasive plant control. While the Kennebec SWCD may not be directly involved we hope to help identify projects taking place, education and workshops for people interested, in addition to resources that people may find useful.
As the information becomes available we hope to post it here. Remember, that even if listed here, the Kennebec SWCD may not be directly involved. In fact we may not even agree with the initiative. However, it is not our job to make your decisions for you, only provide you some of the resources to used in forming your own opinions and determine your own level of action.

We have listed a few to get this page started.
AQUATIC HABITAT

  • Currently there are a number of groups and individuals working to restore alewive habitat to the China Lake Outlet Stream in and effort to restore sea run or river herring [Alewives] to the China Lake watershed.
  • The Webber Pond and ThreeMile Pond watershed groups have been working to restore alewives into their watersheds. The Webber Pond fishway was installed a couple years ago and is currently being used to monitor and restore that fish run.
  • The Togus Pond watershed has begun work on a fishway at the outlet dam on Lower Togus Pond. It should be in place in August.
  • Over the past few seasons more towns and watershed groups are not only identifying culvert barriers but replacing them. Progress continues.

 

INVASIVE TERRESTRIAL PLANTS

  • The Maine Natural Areas Program has begun tracking and mapping terrestrial invasives throughout Maine. It is called the IMap program and is an effort to use “citizen scientists” to identify invasive plants as they spread across the State, mark the expansion of their spread, and identify effective methods to manage and/or control their spread into new areas. Check out the MNAP invasive page here.  If you want their IMap page, select here     and then check out the options on the right of their page.
  • The Kennebec, Knox-Lincoln and Somerset SWCD are  working with the MNAP on a project to educate and assist landowners about terrestrial invasives. It is focused on agricultural and woodlot owners but should serve to assist a number of others. Work continues in this field season.
  • A number of individuals and groups in the mid-Maine area are trying to work together in order to minimize the impact of encroaching invasives.  As those efforts begin to create workshops and identify resources available to landowners, we will post that information here.
  • For some good resource information about plants check out.