WILTON — The Friends of Wilson are seeking a $150,000 federal grant to help continue its work protecting the lake.

That was among the highlights of a presentation by Robert Rogers, president of the Friends of Wilson Lake, before the Select Board on Aug. 5.

Rogers recapped information presented at the association’s 2025 annual meeting, including updates on lake health, recent watershed survey efforts, and the pending grant application for further conservation work.

Rogers brought the same PowerPoint presentation he used at the annual meeting, explaining that since board members were unable to attend, he wanted to share it directly. He noted that he might not be fully prepared to answer all questions but would do his best.

Watershed surveys and lake protection efforts were a central focus of the update. A watershed is the land area that drains into a specific body of water. Protecting the watershed is essential to maintaining water quality, preventing erosion, and reducing pollution that enters the lake.

Rogers explained that the 2024 watershed survey included Wilson Lake, Pease Pond and Varnum Pond. The fieldwork took place on a rainy day in September and involved volunteers, including members of the Spruce Mountain Envirothon team. The work was coordinated by the consulting firm Ecological Instincts.

“These are the types of things in a watershed survey,” Rogers said, pointing to issues such as gravel slumping along road shoulders that may contribute to non-point-source pollution, which comes from a variety of sources rather than a single source.

He reviewed earlier watershed work, including a 1994 septic system survey of lakefront properties to identify aging or failing systems, and a 2016 survey of the same three ponds. That survey led to the development of a Watershed-Based Protection Plan in 2017. A federal Section 319 grant, based on that plan, funded water quality improvement projects in 2017 and 2018, in partnership with Friends of Wilson Lake, the town of Wilton, and state agencies.

Section 319 grants are administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support efforts that address non-point-source pollution. In Maine, the funds are managed by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Rogers said he was not heavily involved in that first phase but believed the work may have included some residential properties. He noted that more than 30 lakefront properties are now certified as LakeSmart, a program that recognizes landowners who take steps to reduce runoff and protect the lake.

The lake group submitted a Phase 2 grant application to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in June. The application requests $150,000 in federal funds, with a non-federal match of more than $400,000 in donations, volunteer hours, and in-kind services, totaling $570,724. The group is waiting to hear back.

“To qualify for the grant, the watershed has to have a protection plan,” Rogers said. The plan serves as a 10-year road map and focuses on five areas: reducing current non-point-source pollution, preventing future pollution, education and awareness, capacity building, and monitoring and assessment.

Prevention measures may include land conservation, shoreland zoning updates, and review of town ordinances.

The lake group is also working to expand its membership, engage new stakeholders, increase volunteer participation, and sustain funding through donations and grants. “It’s hard to get volunteers these days,” Rogers said. “Lake stewardship is a group effort.”

He also outlined monitoring efforts that include a non-point-source site tracker, routine water quality and stream sampling — particularly after storms — and invasive species inspections through boat launch screenings and in-lake plant patrols.

Since 2018, a buoy-based monitoring program has collected year-round data on Wilson Lake. A pink floating buoy is used in the fall and replaced with a stationary version in winter that won’t be disturbed by ice. The goal is to build a 15-year dataset.