Water Quality Monitoring

Citizen Stewards Water Quality Monitoring Program

Each year, dozens of volunteers collect data on water quality in Casco Bay. Trained in EPA-approved techniques, these Citizen Stewards collect samples at 30 sites around Casco Bay.

Supplementing the sampling and research work done by our staff, our volunteers collect baseline data on salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, water clarity and nutrients. Together, our staff and volunteers have collected nearly 250,000 water quality measurements since 1992, making our data set one of the most comprehensive and reliable in Maine. This data is critical as Friends of Casco Bay works with businesses, municipalities, and decision-makers around the Bay to find effective ways to curb pollution.

Join Our Team!

Interested in joining the ranks of our volunteers who sample water quality at sites around the Bay? Volunteers are trained in rigorous EPA-approved sampling methods and collect samples twice per day on 10 selected Saturdays. To get involved, fill out our volunteer application and send it to Peter Milholland, volunteer coordinator, at pmilholland(at)cascobay.org. You may also call Peter at 207-799-8574 ext. 207.

What are our volunteers like? Each year, we recognize those Citizen Stewards who have reached 15-year, 10-year, and 5-year milestones in water quality monitoring. Read bios of our most recent award winners, here.

Videos About Our Monitoring Work:

Learn more about our Water Quality Monitoring work (left) and our efforts to monitor marine invasive species in Casco Bay (right).

Help Support our Water Quality Monitoring Program

Your donation will support our staff and volunteers' work to sample water quality around the Bay. Just write "Water Quality" in the designation box once you get to the billing page. Thank you!

More About our Water Quality Work

-Toxic sediment: Friends of Casco Bay has detected toxic chemicals in the sediment around Portland Harbor. Read the report here.

-How healthy is the Bay?: Read "Making the Grade: The Casco Bay Health Index"

Testing the Waters: Safe Beaches

Casco Baykeeper^® Joe Payne joined Environment Maine for the release of Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches. The report confirms that our nation's beaches continue to suffer from serious contamination - including human and animal waste - that can make people sick. Joe spoke about water quality and the health of beaches in Casco Bay. He was featured in news stories on MPBN and WCSH-6 television.

How's the Water Quality in Your Neck of the Woods?

Click here to expand the map of our Citizen Steward water monitoring sites. To see water quality data for a given site, click on the site's name below the map. Graphs show dissolved oxygen and temperature readings from 2008 sampling.