Both LEA and Sebago Clean Waters (SCW) share a goal of preserving and protecting local water quality. The SCW collaborative has been working over the last eight years to conserve strategic parcels of land, which play an outsized role in protecting water quality, within the Sebago Lake watershed. About half of LEA’s service area lies in this watershed that stretches from Songo Pond in Bethel to the southern end of Sebago Lake in Standish. Currently, the watershed is over 80% forested, and trees and forestland naturally filter the water that ultimately flows into Sebago Lake. Along the way, those same trees also filter the water that drains into most of the lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams in the Lake Region. The water quality in Sebago Lake and most of the lakes in this area is incredibly pure, thanks to large tracts of forested land, and the SCW collaborative, of which LEA is a part, is trying to keep it that way.
To date, the Sebago Clean Waters partners have conserved nearly 14,000 acres since the collaborative’s formation in 2017 and SCW is 40% of the way toward its goal of conserving 35,000 acres within the entire Sebago Lake watershed. Over 39,000 acres and 17% of the Sebago Lake watershed lands are now permanently conserved – a significant jump since the collaborative came together in 2017.
2023-2025 project highlights:
In the upper watershed near the headwaters of the Crooked River, Mahoosuc Land Trust (MLT) conserved the “forever wild” Flint Mountain Wildlands, which lies at the headwaters of scenic Flint Brook with a trail that leads visitors to the summit of Flint Mountain. This spring, MLT and The Conservation Fund announced the conservation of an additional 800 acres, including the Ralph and Alice Kimball Songo Forest, that protects water, wildlife, and public access.
Western Foothills Land Trust (WFLT) protected significant land along the Crooked River, the largest freshwater source flowing to Sebago Lake and critical habitat for endangered landlocked salmon and other cold water fish species. In March, WFLT conserved 1,298 additional acres adjacent to the recently expanded Twin Bridges Preserve. The area now preserves over 2,375 contiguous acres of working forestland and wetlands on both sides of the Crooked River and includes over 6 miles of river and stream frontage.
Near Sebago Lake, Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) conserved three separate significant properties. The Rolfe Hill Preserve includes 400 acres of mixed woodlands and is home to an extensive wetland system, trout stream, and vernal pools. The Sebago Cove Forest is 362 acres of land and over 2,500 feet of shoreline on this quiet cove of Sebago Lake that will protect water quality, waterfowl habitat, and hunting and fishing access. SCW’s scientific analysis revealed that the Clara and Samuel Lebovitz Forest Preserve, which was conserved through a generous donation, is one of the highest priority areas for protecting water quality in the Sebago watershed and is home to several endangered species.
These projects were led by SCW’s three upper watershed land trust partners (MLT, WFLT and LELT) and their success was bolstered by other collaborative members who provided funding and technical assistance including LEA, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, The Nature Conservancy and Open Space Institute. Further, SCW member Portland Water District provides up to 25% of funding for each conservation project that meets their criteria, recognizing the critical role that natural lands play in protecting downstream water quality. Through SCW, we are truly better together – successfully leveraging the power of partnership to increase the pace and impact of conservation for water quality in our region.
– Karen Young, Sebago Clean Waters Partnership Director
