WILTON — Friends of Wilson Lake will host a meeting June 26 to discuss the results of a 2024 survey of Wilson Lake, Varnum Pond and Pease Pond watersheds. It will begin at 7 p.m. at the G. D. Cushing School, 21 Cushing Drive, Wilton.

Property owners in the three watersheds and other interested individuals are invited to attend to hear about the survey process, results and possible actions for addressing non-point source pollution.

Fieldwork for the survey was conducted in September and October 2024 and follow-up has included an important update to the watershed-based protection plan for Wilson Lake. Efforts are underway to apply for a water pollution control grant to help match efforts to remediate and abate sources of erosion, specifically in the Wilson Lake watershed.

Wilson Lake is on a Maine Department of Environmental Protection watch list of water bodies  considered to have 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 more awareness and continued best management practices in agriculture, road and driveway maintenance, and commercial and residential land use will continue that trend.

The 2024 survey was conducted by Ecological Instincts based in Reafield, Maine DEP’s watershed management program staff and volunteers, including Spruce Mountain High School Envirothon teams and members of Friends of Wilson Lake. The effort was made possible with money from the Davis Conservation Foundation, Friends of Wilson Lake, and the town of Wilton.

A final report of the survey, dated March, 2025, is available online at friendsofwilsonlake.org. A limited number of copies are also available at the Wilton Town Office. The report is dedicated to longtime volunteer water quality monitor Mary Ryan, one of the founders of Friends of Wilson Lake, who conducted water quality readings 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.

For more information contact [email protected] or call 207-779-0660. Light refreshments will be available.