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 About a quarter of a million people (25% of Maine's population) live in the Casco Bay watershed, an area of 945 square miles. Sebago lake, the largest freshwater body in southern Maine, provides drinking water to the Portland area. Unfortunately, rivers like the Presumpscot are heavily polluted, although things have slowly been improving. The river above the mill is Class B and Class A and has a relatively undeveloped shoreline. Last summer, facing pressure from the state and the EPA, SAPPI stopped making pulp at its Westbrook paper mill, a major source of toxic discharge into the Presumpscot. There are many beautiful stretches on the upper Presumpscot for canoeing, and the river boasts one of the most popular year-round catch and release fishing spots in Southern Maine. Local river organizations are working on river renewal through many channels, including dam removal, water quality monitoring, indigenous fish restoration and efforts to educate the public about the Presumpscot's potential.
Local Organizations: Casco Bay Estuary Project Friends of the Presumpscot Friends of the Royal River
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 Presumpscot River estuary. Despite its beauty, the river received the lowest possible water-quality rating in the DEP's most recent data. (read about the state water classification system) (photo © Ed Geis) . Visit the EPA page for the Casco Bay watershed.
Rivers, Lakes, and Streams in the Casco Bay Watershed: Crooked River |
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