FBE developed a nine-element watershed-based management plan for the Medomak River, completed in 2019. FBE worked with the Town of Waldoboro, the Waldoboro Shellfish Committee, the Medomak Valley Land Trust (now Midcoast Conservancy), Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and Maine Department of Marine Resources. The Medomak River is one of the leading soft-shell clam producers in Maine but has suffered from seasonal and conditional harvesting closures due to elevated bacteria. The plan built on the enormous multi-year success of the Medomak Task Force and synthesized past investigation and remediation efforts from sources of agriculture, residential septic systems, industrial pollutants, waterfowl, wildlife, and pets. In addition, the plan synthesized water quality monitoring data from tributaries entering the river and estuary, including results from a canine detection study and microbial source tracking used to identify the source species contributing to fecal contamination. The Plan identifies next steps for continued restoration and protection of the Medomak River to ensure safe and productive shellfish flats.
