9031-R3_CC_Hollis_2023-2024_AnnualReport_Web

SACO RIVER CORRIDOR COMMISSION “Communities Working Together to Protect Our Rivers”

The Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC) was created with one purpose in mind – to protect the major waterways of the Saco Basin and all that these rivers represent to the people who live and work here. The Maine State Legislature provided the performance standards to initiate our program in 1973, and the current cleanliness and scenic value of the river is a testament to that effort. The Commission’s role is one of partnership with our communities, and our standards apply to the first 500 or up to 1,000 feet of land around the Saco, Ossipee, and Little Ossipee, as well as the waters themselves (together called “the Corridor”). All twenty towns with lands in the Corridor can appoint one regular and one alternate Commissioner, and we are grateful to have Donna Hanson and Lee Klarman as members from Hollis at this time. Representation from Hollis means that your community is weighing in on development patterns and specific development projects throughout the Corridor, from Fryeburg to Saco and south to Acton/Shapleigh. Together, representatives from all our 20 municipalities help to keep the water clean and preserve natural resources, ultimately protecting public health and quality of life in our region. Clean water is one of Maine’s greatest assets, and our volunteer Commissioners work hard to ensure the Saco and its major tributaries are protected from unsustainable or incompatible uses. Development in Maine continues at a rapid pace. As areas are built up or used for resource extraction, degradation can occur in the shoreland area, along with water quality problems. The SRCC has kept up with the recent surge in development that started in 2020, and it continues to review each application for development near the rivers for its compliance with the Saco River Corridor Act. In 2024, the Commission carefully reviewed 110 applications for development within the Corridor. In 2025, the SRCC will coordinate its 24th year of the Water Quality Monitoring Program. Staff and volunteers will monitor for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, turbidity, temperature, alkalinity, phosphorous (total amounts and orthophosphates) nitrogen (total dissolved, NPOC, and nitrates/ nitrites), and either Escherichia coli (E. coli) or Enterococci. Our testing takes place bi-weekly along the Saco, Ossipee, and Little Ossipee Rivers at 43 different locations from May through mid-September, with additional E. coli bacteria testing at certain recreational sites from June to September. Not all sites are tested for all parameters, but we add parameters where there are particular concerns or conditions. To help communicate water quality testing results to the public, the map available on our website highlights locations with recently elevated bacteria levels. The site also provides links to the most updated E. coli test results. While our monitoring program is near its capacity for new sites, the SRCC is happy to discuss the possibility of expanding testing locations in future or adding parameters to existing sites. We are especially grateful to our volunteer water quality monitors, who make our current array of testing locations possible. We encourage those interested in volunteering to contact us ahead of the mid-April training dates each year, in hopes of expanding our monitoring capacity. The SRCC’s mission is to work with the communities of the Corridor to help keep the rivers clean and preserve quality of life in the Saco River Basin. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions on any of our programs, please contact the Commission’s office. We are located at 81 Maple Street in Cornish, Maine, where we have staffed hours Monday-Thursday, 9am-5pm. You can reach us at 207-625-8123 or srcc@srcc-maine.org, and you can find much more information on our website at www.srcc-maine.org. We sincerely thank the Town of Hollis for helping to protect the Saco River and its tributaries!

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