When I look east out my office window my eyes first cross U.S. Route 1, pass over the parking lot full of used cars for sale at York’s auto dealership, then on to a stand of popple trees and a farm field beyond. It’s difficult to remember the connection to the watershed I’m currently in since I can’t visibly see any river, stream or lake around me. The fact is, no matter where you live or work, everyone and thing is part of a watershed.
Right now, I happen to be sitting in part of the Meduxnekeag Watershed. If I could see just beyond those popples and farm field previously mentioned, I’d see and hear the Meduxnekeag River winding its way from downtown Houlton and beyond. In the same way that borders delineate towns, states and countries, there are natural geographic features that create boundary lines as well. Think of trees bordering a field or even a range of mountains. Watersheds are also natural geographic features that have boundary lines.
To get people used to the idea of being part of a watershed, the Meduxnekeag Watershed Coalition, in conjunction with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, a member of the Coalition, has recently installed watershed boundary signs on U.S. Route 2A in Linneus and on U.S. Route 2 in Smyrna. The signs are a visual reminder to people driving by that, in this case, everyone in the Meduxnekeag Watershed shares the same water.
The water that flows through Amity also flows through Cary Plantation and Hodgdon and connects with water flowing through Linneus and New Limerick and Houlton and so on until all that water flows across the international border into New Brunswick, into the St John River and finally on to the sea.
There are many human activities that have the potential to degrade the quality of that water as it travels over and through the watershed. Many of the impacts of those activities can be reduced through education and making small changes such as planting a fall cover crop or mulch to reduce soil erosion, choosing chemical-free lawn care, picking up pet waste, and keeping adequate natural buffers along shorelines of water bodies, to name a few.
The signs were funded through a cooperative agreement between HBMI and the Environmental Protection Agency. They serve to remind us that we are all connected by water and that we all contribute to the water quality of the watersheds we live in.
Angie Wotton loves her work as district manager for the SASWCD. She also raises pastured pork and vegetables with her husband on their small West Berry Farm in Hammond. She can be reached 532-9407 or via e-mail at angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net.
