On Saturday, April 25th, volunteers from the Echo Lake Association (ELA) and local towns worked with staff from 30 Mile and Maine DEP to complete the Echo Lake and Taylor Pond Watershed Survey. The group of twenty-two split into six teams to walk shoreline properties and stream crossings, looking for erosion and runoff issues that may be a threat to lake health.
Watershed surveys are incredibly valuable, not only for identifying priority areas for protection and improvement, but also as hands-on learning experiences for survey volunteers and lakefront residents to better understand and apply best management practices that help protect the lake.
This effort was coordinated by 30 Mile and supported by a steering committee made up of ELA members and staff from Maine DEP, 30 Mile, and the Kennebec Land Trust. Preliminary results show over 115 sites identified as erosion sites in need of follow-up.
In the coming months, we will be organizing the data, conducting additional field follow-up, reaching out to landowners with site-specific guidance, and preparing a full watershed survey report.
This article was included in 30 Mile’s May 2026 newsletter. To view the full release, click here.