FARMINGTON — A recent 2024 survey of the Wilson Lake, Varnum Pond, and Pease Pond watersheds will be discussed at an informational meeting on Thursday, June 26, at 7 p.m. at the G. D. Cushing School in Wilton. Property owners in the three watersheds and other interested individuals are invited to attend the meeting to hear about the survey process, results, and possible actions for addressing non-point source (NPS) pollution.

Fieldwork for the survey was conducted in September and October of 2024, and follow-up has included an important update to the watershed-based protection plan for Wilson Lake. Efforts are currently underway to apply for a Section 319 NPS Water Pollution Control grant. If awarded, the 319 grant will help match efforts to remediate and abate sources of erosion, which can impact water quality, specifically in the Wilson Lake watershed. Wilson Lake is on a DEP watch list of waterbodies considered as “having a recent or long-term significant negative trend in water clarity”. Recent years indicate a slight improvement in water clarity, and it is hoped that increased awareness, together with continued best management practices in agriculture, road and driveway maintenance, and commercial and residential land use, will continue that trend.

The 2024 watershed survey was conducted by the Readfield-based consulting firm Ecological Instincts, staff from Maine DEP’s watershed management program, and a group of volunteers, including the Spruce Mountain Envirothon team and members of the Friends of Wilson Lake (FOWL). The effort was made possible with funding from the Davis Conservation Foundation, FOWL, and the Town of Wilton.

A final report of the watershed survey, dated March 2025, is available at the Friends of Wilson Lake website (friendsofwilsonlake.org). A limited number of copies are also available at the Wilton town office. The report is dedicated to long-time volunteer water quality monitor Mary Ryan, one of the founders of FOWL, who conducted Secchi disk readings for Wilson Lake beginning in the 1980s. The Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program has been an essential part of Maine’s effort to protect and improve water quality statewide.

The G.D. Cushing School is located at 21 Cushing Drive in Wilton. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 207-779-0660. Light refreshments will be available.