An extensive two-year project is underway to improve China Lake’s water quality.

This latest effort is part of the China Lake Watershed-Based Management Plan, a 10-year initiative aimed at achieving a significant reduction of phosphorus in the lake to prevent algae blooms. Phosphorus is a key nutrient on which algae feed, and soil erosion from stormwater runoff is the leading cause of excess phosphorus, according to a news release from Jennifer Jespersen, consulting project manager, Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Funded in part by a $100,068 Section 319 grant of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act that is administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the current phase of the WBMP aims to mitigate stormwater runoff and erosion at 11 non-residential sites across the watershed, including beach/boat access sites, commercial sites, and private roads by the end of 2025.

The recipient of the Section 319 grant, Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District, has partnered with the China Lake Association, China Region Lakes Alliance, Kennebec Water District, and the towns of China and Vassalboro to execute the plan. Jespersen, of environmental consulting and ecological design firm Ecological Instincts, is serving as lead project coordinator and consultant.

For more information, contact Jespersen at [email protected] or 207-293-8073.

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