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"The Watershed"

Current Events and Updates

6/8/09 It's tick time! Take precautions when working in your garden or when walking in the woods. Ticks can be a real menace this time of year and can cause serious illness. To familiarize yourself with what to look for, download this tick poster and review the pictures and take appropiate precautions.

4/24/09 Its Alwive time! Visit the alwive site at http://www.damariscottamills.org/ to learn about the returning alwives. Better yet, take a trip to the Mills during the next few weeks and see it first hand! Also, check out the Events Calendar for updates on spring and summer events.

4/13/09 We are sad to hear of the passing of DLWA member Sally Hartenstein. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Sally's memory to the Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association. Click here for details.

4/12/09 Contributions, honorariums and memorial donations can be made at any tme of year. Please click here for details and family requests.

1/8/09 The West Branch Trail map has been updated under Recreation/Hiking. The Fall Watershed has been added. Wonders of Water has been added in Learning Resources, DLWA Educational Programs and new water quality charts have been added under lake protection, Water Quality.

Founded in 1966, the Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association (DLWA), a volunteer-based organization of nearly 500 member families, is committed to "enhancing the quality of life in and around Damariscotta Lake, assuring enjoyment for all of its natural and human residents".

This means that through our programs, we are committed to:

Protect Water Quality

Damariscotta Lake is a fragile ecosystem that reacts and responds to changes that take place in our watershed. In 1989, we established an annual water quality monitoring program in the three basins which make up the 7.2
square-mile Lake. This serves as an early warning system to protect our valuable resource. In 1995, working with State and local agencies, the Association began to solve specific erosion and sedimentation problems that are a major source of "nonpoint source pollution". We have secured State and Federal funding to continue this work during 2001-2005. To learn more about how you can get involved, check out the Action Opportunities section.

Provide information for community residents and visitors

We must all understand the impact our individual actions have on water quality and take steps to minimize that impact on the Lake. DLWA tries to inform the public through our Web site and at our resource center at 8 Village Street, Jefferson, ME. We support programs for school children and workshops for seasonal and year round residents. Our quarterly newsletter, The Watershed, is mailed to 2000 families and businesses within the Watershed communities of Jefferson, Nobleboro, Newcastle, Washington and Somerville. So far, over 500 families have chosen to join DLWA! Their dollar support is crucial to sustain our programs.

As a public service for those new to the watershed, the DLWA has put together packets for new homeowners. These packets provide not only a wealth of information, but also a complementary one year membership to the DLWA. Packets will be available at local realtor’s offices, town offices, and our DLWA office. Included in these packets are county maps, information on Damariscotta Lake and lakes in general, and advice on how to keep our lake a wonderful place for generations to come.

We have also compiled a packet of resources for people interested in

forming road associations. These packets help homeowners who share private roads with creating a pro-active road association. These are available in the DLWA office.

Promote stewardship of open space in and around the Watershed

Through the continuing generosity of our friends and neighbors in the Watershed, the Association has embarked on a program of land acquisition and acquisition of conservation easements on lands owned by others. Each piece of property is maintained as open space, providing a protective buffer for the Lake. By creating "conservation lands" within the watershed, we are positively impacting water quality and the general health of the area. Properties entrusted to DLWA will be set aside as a legacy for future generations and open for the enjoyment of teh public. Meanwhile, we publicize guided tours in all seasons. For more information on our current projects, see the "Land Conservancy" section.

More Recreational Opportunities

DLWA fosters bonds between watershed residents by encouraging creative and healthy recreational activities on Damariscotta Lake and in its Watershed. We are the custodians of this beautiful place that needs to remain available for everyone to enjoy.

2008 Accomplishments

Click here to see what DLWA accomplished in 2008.

Membership, Contributions, Honorariums, Memorial Donations and a Personal Pledge

Membership in DLWA helps allow us to continue to progress with important work in the Watershed and bring benefits back to the entire community. For a Membership Form, click here.

Contributions, honorariums and memorial donations can be made at any tme of year. Please click here for details.

If you are interested in becoming a DLWA volunteer, contact DLWA at 207-549-3836 or print out the DLWA Volunteer Opportunities Form and send it to us through the mail.

Each of us should do our part to preserve the quality of life in the watershed. We ask our members to live up to the Pledge shown here.

"The Watershed" -- Now available online!

Click here to view current and past issues of our quarterly newsletter.

Comments/Suggestions/Questions?

The content of this site is prepared and maintained by volunteers of DLWA.

Please report any discrepancies or make any suggestions to the DLWA Webmaster at webmaster@dlwa.org.

Site Last Updated

June 8 , 2009

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