At LEA, we’ve always been dedicated to the preservation of our waters, for the past 5 years, we have been working to reconnect fragmented waterways. The majority of funding for most of these projects came from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This funding was procured through a competitive multi-year grant that our partner Sebago Clean Waters received in 2020. The goal of this project is to help preserve the water quality of Sebago Lake, which provides drinking water to one-sixth of all Mainers. We started including streams as a focus area in 2020 with the goal of reconnecting 10-15 stream miles over the course of 5 years. LEA’s focus in this work is to protect water quality from the threats of washouts and flooding related to undersized and damaged culverts. In collaboration with partner organizations, working to reconnect streams and rivers, revitalize habitats, and make our community more resilient to climate change, with the added benefit of protecting one of the last strongholds for native species like brook trout and landlocked salmon. To date, we have reconnected over 40 miles of fragmented waterways, with five more projects scheduled to be completed by fall 2026. By the end of the grant cycle, LEA in collaboration with Sebago Clean Waters and our partners, will have reconnected over 55 miles of stream.
Carsley Brook – 2025
In the fourth year of a grant that the Sebago Clean Waters Collaborative was awarded from Natural Resources Conservation Service, LEA completed three stream crossing replacement projects utilizing some of the funding along with additional sources of funds. We worked with a private landowner on Carsley Brook in Harrison to replace a stream crossing that consisted of two undersized culverts that were prone to clogging and did not allow for road passage. The contractors working at the site installed a 24-foot crossing which increased stream connectivity, allowed fish passage, and improved water quality in Carsley Brook that ultimately drains to Long Lake. Photo: Upgraded bridge culvert
Little Pond Brook – 2025
In 2025, LEA partnered with Western Foothills Land Trust (WFLT) to replace an undersized, perched stream crossing on Little Pond Brook in Otisfield that is on WFLT property. This project was partially funded by the Natural Resource Conservation Service grant which enhanced safety over the crossing and resulted in water flow and wildlife passage through the new 24-foot crossing. This project connected 1.7 miles of water flow into the Crooked River which is home to Landlocked Salmon, Brook Trout, and other important species.
Woodsum Brook – 2025
The third and final stream crossing replacement project of 2025 LEA was involved in was on private land on Woodsum Brook in Harrison. The previous culvert was severely undersized which led to frequent flooding and washouts resulting in an impassable road. The installment of a 24 foot open bottom bridge resulted in part of the stream being reconnected to improve water quality and water flow ultimately into Crystal Lake.
Edes Falls Dam Removal – 2024
After several years of planning and meetings with town representatives, community groups, and local landowners, the remnant granite dam at Edes Falls on the Crooked River in Naples was removed in June 2024.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of removing this dam for the sustainability of the landlocked salmon that are endemic to Sebago Lake. More than 80% of the spawning habitat for these fish was cut off during periods of low water in the fall when the base of the old dam was still in place. By removing this one crumbling structure, more than 27 miles of stream habitat was reconnected for both landlocked salmon and native brook trout in the renowned Crooked River fishery. The natural hydrology was also restored in this section of the river with only a minimal change in water level directly behind the dam.
LEA was involved in the planning of this project, serving on the Naples town committee formed to examine this issue, and helping shepherd funding from multiple sources for this work. One of the biggest funding sources came from a Natural Resources Conservation Service grant that the Sebago Clean Waters collaborative (of which LEA is a partner) procured. The project was overseen by Trout Unlimited and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The Nature Conservancy and Casco Bay Estuary Partnership also provided critical early funding. Photo: Wildflowers growing next to dam removal site
Sampson Brook – 2024
A crossing project that we were involved in in 2024 was the removal of an old and partially blocked three-foot elliptical culvert on Sampson Brook in Waterford. The landowner opted to fully remove the crossing and restore the bank and stream to the most natural conditions possible. This project was funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service grant procured through Sebago Clean Waters. We could not have done this project, which resulted in more than three miles of reconnected stream, without the landowner’s help and interest in this work. Photo: High water flow in old culvert
Muddy River – 2024
Where the Muddy River crosses under Chaplins Mill Road in Naples, a deteriorating and undersized culvert had become a safety issue for the town, flooding regularly and limiting heavy loads. LEA was able to help this project along first by procuring grant funding to design a stream-smart crossing for the site and then applying for a $200,000 Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) grant for the town of Naples, which was later awarded. Thanks to this grant and additional funding and commitment from the town of Naples, the rusted and peeling 6-foot diameter pipe under the road was replaced with a 20-foot box culvert embedded in the stream to mimic natural conditions. The end result is a safe and flood-resistant structure that reconnects more than 7 miles of the Muddy River. Photo: Flooding prior to culvert replacment
Burgess Brook – 2022/2023
Lakes Environmental Association, with support from partner organizations, successfully completed the replacement of an undersized and damaged culvert on Burgess Brook in Jugtown Forest in 2023. Prior to the replacement, LEA and partner organizations removed remnants of an old stone dam just upstream from the culvert project. Burgess Brook is a tributary of the Crooked River, which has a wild population of brook trout and smelts, and provides nearly all of the spawning habitat for the landlocked salmon in Sebago Lake. Our clean lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers are unique, making Western Maine one of the last strongholds for native brook trout and landlocked salmon. Read the full story here.
