SOUTH THOMASTON, Maine — The Weskeag marsh is one of the largest stops for migratory birds and is home to a wide variety of species.
The Friends of the Weskeag will host a public discussion from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, at the South Thomaston town office to release the results of water quality testing in the Weskeag River watershed area.
Georges River Land Trust along with the Friends of Weskeag teamed up to track the health of the Weskeag and raise awareness of the importance of the river, with the help of volunteers. The two organizations worked in partnership with the State River Monitoring Program that provided the protocols for sampling, equipment and training.
While no trends can yet be established, Annette Naegel of the Georges River Land Trust will share what the volunteers discovered from their sampling of bacteria, pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen, the Friends of the Weskeag stated in a news release.
Melissa Evers, biologist at the state Department of Environmental Protection, will present the findings from the bacterial collection over the past season.
Melissa Smith, marine scientist at the state Department of Marine Resources, will summarize water quality trends in the Weskeag based on routine monitoring conducted by the Bureau of Public Health. She will focus on bacterial pollution, temperature and salinity as well as provide some background perspective on potential causes that lead to the impairment of water quality.
For more information, call Vivian Newman of the Friends of the Weskeag at 691-2120 or email newviv@roadrunner.com.