Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2007ME133B

Pollution Source Tracking in Spruce Creek, Kittery, Maine

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2007 Start Date: 2008-04-01 End Date: 2009-03-31
Total Federal Funds: $11,480 Total Non-Federal Funds: $25,770

Principal Investigators: Chris Feurt, Michele Dionne

Project Summary: The Spruce Creek tidal estuary in Kittery and Eliot, Maine, has experienced chronic, persistent bacterial contamination from unidentified sources that has restricted shellfish harvesting, threatens public health and is non-conforming with state standards. Work conducted with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has helped to identify some contamination sources and grants are being pursued to remedy these known sources. This project is designed to more accurately identify other suspected sources of fecal contamination. Conventional bacterial testing for fecal coliform and E. coli will be conducted on water samples to determine contamination levels relative to State and Federal water quality standards. Water quality monitoring strategies selected for this project will aim to identify the sources and magnitudes of fecal contamination affecting the functions and values of the Spruce Creek estuary. The oversight committee for the project will select from a suite of testing protocols including water column sampling, optical brightener tests, and benthic sampling. Success of the project depends heavily on partner and stakeholder involvement. Collaborating partners include volunteers from the Town of Kittery, the Kittery Shellfish Commission and the Spruce Creek Association and staff from the DMR. Results of the study will be presented at a Community Forum to engage watershed residents and municipal officials in dialogue. Techniques of Collaborative Learning will be used to facilitate the community workshop in order to evaluate the implications of research findings, and to develop practical strategies to eliminate sources of fecal coliform contamination in order to improve water quality in the Spruce Creek estuary.