CROSS LAKE, Maine — A virtual public meeting about the Cross Lake Watershed-Based Management Plan will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 27, via Zoom, hosted by the Friends of Cross Lake.
All are welcome. The meeting will allow the public to ask questions about this important 10-year plan to restore Cross Lake’s water quality so that it has less frequent algal blooms and meets Maine water quality standards.
Cross Lake is the third lake in the east branch of the Fish River Chain of Lakes and is listed as impaired by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection due to high phosphorus levels and low water clarity. The plan includes the watersheds of Dickey and Daigle brooks, which are also impaired.
This plan is a crucial step in a long-term effort to restore the health of Cross Lake for the benefit of residents, visitors and future generations. Its development was a necessary first step for project partners to qualify for future grants to help fund cost-effective solutions to address stormwater runoff in the watershed. Friends of Cross Lake, the County of Aroostook, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and St. John Valley Soil & Water Conservation District will work cooperatively with willing property owners to begin addressing the plan, including obtaining funding to help stop sediment and phosphorus from reaching the lake and its tributaries.
Those who would like to participate in or listen to the meeting should contact Cheryl St. Peter at countyee@fairpoint.net or message through facebook@friendsofcrosslake to get the meeting link or call-in information.
Those who can’t make the meeting, but would like to become a member of the group or be included in future watershed plan communications can also contact St. Peter.
Agricultural producers in the watershed who would prefer to speak to the Natural Resources Conservation Service or the Soil & Water Conservation District about this plan or the NRCS National Water Quality Initiative project in the Cross Lake, Daigle and Dickey brook watersheds can reach them at 207-834-3311. Offices are located at 139 Market Street, Suite 106 in Fort Kent.
