As this year comes to an end, let’s reflect and celebrate the many ways that we worked together to protect the health of Casco Bay in 2022. Here are our top ten stories of the year:
1) A Major Victory to Reduce Pollution to Casco Bay
Stormwater is one of the largest sources of pollution into the Bay. In July, we celebrated new protections that will reduce stormwater pollution flowing from Maine’s most urbanized areas. These protections were included in a statewide stormwater permit following many years of advocacy from Friends of Casco Bay. (You can watch a short video explaining how these new protections work, here).
2) More Than 165 Volunteers Get Their Hands Wet for Casco Bay
Friends of Casco Bay volunteers took part in Nabbing Nitrogen, a Clean Water Act day of action, collecting 178 water samples from Portland Harbor in August. The samples are being analyzed for total nitrogen. The data from this community science event will support our advocacy to reduce nitrogen pollution into Casco Bay.
3) Decades of Data: A Watershed Year for Science
We completed our 30th year of collecting seasonal water quality data from Casco Bay. These data show temperatures in the Bay have warmed at an alarming rate, approximately 3° Fahrenheit since 1993. We also passed the one-year mark of having three Continuous Monitoring Stations in the Bay.
4) 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act
We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act throughout the year, including at our members annual meeting in July. This foundational environmental law lies at the core of our advocacy to improve and protect the health of Casco Bay. Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca helped us understand how the Act works at events like, Listening to Casco Bay: the Clean Water Act, Climate Change, and More.
5) Will Everitt Takes the Helm
We hired Will Everitt to serve as our next Executive Director. Will is a familiar face, as he has served as our Communications and Development Director for the past 15 years and Interim Director from September 2021 to May 2022.
6) No Poop in the Bay: Friends of Casco Bay Relaunches Pumpout Program
After a two-year hiatus, our pumpout vessel, Headmaster, was back in the water for the boating season. Pumpout Coordinator Chris Gilday completed more than 300 pumpouts this season, keeping more than 11,000 gallons of sewage out of Casco Bay.
7) Water Reporter shows flooding on Chebeague wharf
Water Reporter Bill Danielson documented high tide in Casco Bay flooding over the edges of Chebeague’s Stone Wharf. High water events have become common at the wharf, leaving island residents to grapple with the need to raise the wharf in the face of rising sea levels. Bill is one of more than 400 volunteer Water Reporters who help us keep an eye on Casco Bay.
8) Protecting the Presumpscot protects the Bay
Friends of Casco Bay is working with Friends of the Presumpscot River and others to better understand water quality in the Presumpscot River, the largest river that flows into Casco Bay. “This magnificent river nourishes the estuary,” says Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca. “We need a healthy Presumpscot to have a healthy Casco Bay.”
9) Cinematic Celebration and We Are Water
We debuted We Are Water, a Friends of Casco Bay short film inspired by a Gary Lawless poem, at our Cinematic Celebration for Casco Bay. Friends of the Bay joined us in person and online for the celebration, an afternoon of films curated by Maine Outdoor Film Festival.
10) Algal Blooms and Softshell Clam Mortalities Reported in Eastern Casco Bay
Soaring temperatures this summer coincided with large algal blooms and reports of dead softshell clams in eastern Casco Bay. Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca and Staff Scientist Mike Doan visited the sites of the algal blooms for further investigation.
We look forward to keeping you updated in the New Year. Thank you for being a Friend of Casco Bay.
