Environmental Educator Joins KELT

Impacts of water quality on regional shellfish beds, public health and local economies

January 6, 2011

BATH- For the next eleven months, the residents and municipalities in the Kennebec Estuary will benefit from the assistance of an environmental educator who will join the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT).

Becky Kolak will work from January to November supporting the local land trust by doing educational programs and community outreach on the impact of water quality on regional shellfish beds, harvesters and local economies.

Because shellfish such as clams, mussels, oysters, quahogs are filter feeders, the quality of the waters in which they grow is a key factor in determining whether they are safe to eat.

Kolak is an AmeriCorps volunteer serving through the Maine Conservation Corps. Her position is funded by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection with support from the Department of Marine Resources. She will be interviewing shellfisherman, municipal committees and interested citizens to gather baseline information on the quality of the water and the frequency of closures in local clam flats.

This information will be used to generate solutions, locate funds for remediation and provide education to citizens on ways we can avoid pollution sources such as malfunctioning domestic septic systems, storm drains, overboard discharge systems, landscaping runoff, agricultural runoff, automobile fluids on roadways and pet waste. 

The Kennebec Estuary has long been recognized for its exceptional productivity.  Comprised of Merrymeeting Bay, the lower fifteen miles of the Kennebec River and surrounding uplands, it is the largest tidal estuary on the East coast north of the Hudson River, and one of the nation’s most significant coastal resources.  Twenty percent of Maine’s tidal marshes are found within the Estuary, representing the largest concentration of salt marshes in the state.  The Kennebec River contributes an average of six billion gallons of water to the Gulf of Maine per day, greatly influencing Maine’s coastal waters. The Kennebec Estuary is Maine’s largest conservation focus area of statewide significance.

For more information or to participate in the interviews please contact KELT at 442-8400 or info@kennebecestuary.org.

The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust is a membership supported non-profit organization dedicated to conservation of the natural, historic, scenic, cultural and recreational resources of the Kennebec Estuary.  It holds easements on over 700 acres of private land and owns seven preserves open for public enjoyment.