In May, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (MOHF) Board voted unanimously to fund 30 Mile’s grant application for work on Androscoggin Lake. This $25K grant will support an environmental assessment to identify the causes of the algal blooms and management strategies to protect public health. Project partners include Maine DEP, ALIC, and the towns of Wayne and Leeds.
Work has already begun this spring with intensified data collection that will continue throughout the summer and fall, including sediment sampling (10+ locations), plankton sampling, stream sampling (10+ locations), dissolved oxygen transects, and recording backflushing events of the Dead River. Data collection will be conducted by our staff, and supported by trained volunteers and Maine DEP. This data will inform the work to be completed by Ecological Instincts, which will include phosphorus loading analyses, watershed modeling, and more, all leading toward developing a U.S. EPA-approved Nine-Element Watershed-Based Management Plan (required for certain grant eligibility). Completing this extensive, science-based work will help us better understand the factors causing the blooms and evaluate potential solutions to help prevent them.
MOHF helps fund critical wildlife and conservation projects throughout Maine and was established by the Maine Legislature in 1996, in response to a grassroots effort led by Maine Audubon and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. MOHF’s revenue is generated exclusively by a dedicated instant lottery ticket distributed by the Maine State Lottery. Tickets are available at most convenience stores, gas stations, and other outlets where Maine State Lottery tickets are sold.
This article was included in 30 Mile’s May 2026 newsletter. To view the full release, click here.