BUCKFIELD — The Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District will host a training workshop for volunteers interested in collecting data on the Nezinscot Watershed stream crossings from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, June 26 at the Buckfield Town Office.

The majority of the watershed is located within the towns of Buckfield, Turner, Sumner and Hartford. The goal is to identify potential barriers that prevent sea-run and freshwater fish, such as Atlantic salmon and Eastern brook trout from reaching upstream resting, feeding and spawning habitat.

Survey teams will consist of volunteers and technical leaders who will collect data in the immediate vicinity of stream crossings. They will record the dimensions of culverts and/or dams and assess factors such as water depth, stream bottom material upstream/downstream and erosion at the culvert. Potential barriers include culverts perched above the stream or blocked by sediment or debris. Previous surveys have found that about 40 percent of culverts at public or private stream crossings are barriers to fish and wildlife.

Collecting this information will help the state, towns and private landowners determine which crossings or dams should be modified or replaced to improve access for fish and wildlife, accommodate larger stream flows associated with more extreme precipitation events, and reduce long-term roadway maintenance costs. Some high priority sites could be eligible for outside technical or financial assistance through a new state grant if the road owner/manager has an interest.

Most of the work will be done on public right-of-ways at road crossings and within stream boundaries, however it may be necessary to access the stream from land for a short distance both up and down of stream crossings to take measurements and pictures of the crossings, especially if the stream is too deep to wade. Surveyors will attempt to ask permission to cross private land when necessary and will honor all “no trespassing” and private signs.

This work has been made possible by grants from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. Participants include: Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District, Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, Androscoggin River Watershed Council, USFWS Gulf of Maine Coastal Project, Maine Audubon and The Nature Conservancy.

The training session will include a two-hour morning classroom session and on-site evaluations of several crossings after the session is completed. Additional volunteers are welcome and after training they may accompany team leaders to help complete the survey of stream crossings in the watershed.

Morning coffee and refreshments will be available. Participants are asked to bring a brown bag lunch. Other necessities include bug spray, boots and other items participants need to be comfortable and safe on site.

Pre-registration for the free workshop is required by June 23. If you wish to register, please contact Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District at 207-743-5789 x. 101 or fill out the contact form at the bottom of the Oxford County SWCD web page: http://oxfordcountyswcd.org/nezinscot-river-watershed-fish-barrier-survey/.