Welcome
The Acton-Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps (ASYCC), was founded in 2001, and is committed to protecting the waterways within Mousam Lake and Square Pond Watershed.
This is achieved by providing education, community outreach, courtesy boat inspections, technical assistance, and the installation of effective erosion control practices to the communities of Acton and Shapleigh.
The ASYCC continues to work to sustain and protect the valuable waterways of Goose Pond, Loon Pond, Mousam Lake, and Square Pond for the enjoyment of the community and its visitors.
Announcements
May 6, 2020
The ASYCC has opened it's Courtesy Boat Inspection season with weekend inspections at Mousam and Square Pond as of May 1. We will go to seven days a week operation after Memorial Day weekend.
We also are planning to have our normal Erosion Control work, expanded Invasive Plant Patrols, and tentatively our golf tournament fundraiser at PLG on Friday August 7.
Stay safe!
February 26, 2020
Mousam Lake Property Owners - Grant Money Available
The Mousam Lake watershed has been the beneficiary of a federal grant awarded through the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and USEPA and administered by the York County Soil and Water Conservation District. There is still money available for Mousam Lake shorefront property owners to have erosion control work done during the Summer of 2020.
Individual property owners would be eligible to receive up to $200 to offset project material costs. Additionally, labor for these erosion control projects is provided free of charge by the Acton Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps (ASYCC).
Projects that would ideally fit this program might be storm water runoff across patios, stairs, or driveways that runs down and into the lake. Simple solutions are available that can address these problems. It should be remembered that storm water runoff into Mousam Lake can be a serious threat to future water quality. There is no better way to protect property values and enhance the public’s enjoyment of the lake than by protecting water quality. By taking advantage of available grant money and the free labor by the ASYCC, property owners can do projects that will help protect the lake for a fraction of the cost that a private contractor might charge.
In 2017 as part of the ongoing effort to protect water quality in Mousam Lake the watershed was surveyed and erosion problems noted. The results of the watershed survey were documented in the publication, Mousam Lake Watershed Survey. By searching in Addendum B and also checking the watershed map included in the survey, lakefront residents can see if their property was one on which a concerning amount of erosion was noted. If shorefront property owners have noted ongoing erosion or note their property listed in the watershed survey, help and in many cases money is available to address the storm water erosion issues.
Mousam Lake watershed residents can obtain more information by contacting:
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-Mark Phelps, ASYCC Project Coordinator: 207-432-7821 eccleader@asycc.com
-Jennifer Harris, grant administrator: 207-324-0888 Ext 208 jharris@yorkswcd.org
-David Landry, MLRA Director: 207-692-3361 david.landry@yahoo.com
Funding for the Mousam Lake grant is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. The funding is administered by the Maine DEP in partnership with the EPA. The EPA does not endorse any commercial products or services. The grant encourages local organizations, primarily volunteer groups, to work collaboratively in addressing watershed issues.
Resources:
February 6, 2020
Visit the Mousam Lake Region Association (MLRA) Facebook Page and Square Pond Improvement Association (SPIA) Facebook Group to learn more about two great associations.
November 9, 2019
August 4, 2019
Our 15th annual golf tournament was held at Province Lake Golf Course on Friday August 2, 2019.
Our golf event supports the Acton-Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps to continue its mission of protecting your favorite local waterbody.
100 golfers and 12 volunteers gathered to help raise over $19,000 in net proceeds! We truly appreciate our Sponsors, Donors, Golfers and Volunteers involved to help keep our important mission funded and running smoothly.
Press Release June 17, 2019
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $95,000 for work in the Mousam Lake watershed aimed at protecting and improving water quality. The grant is awarded jointly to the York County Soil and Water Conservation District (YCSWCD), the Mousam Lake Region Association (MLRA), and the Acton Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corp (ASYCC). Mousam Lake is located in the towns of Shapleigh and Acton in northwestern York County. The four-mile-long lake is one of the most popular and heavily used lakes in York County. Protecting water quality is vital to ensuring Mousam Lake will remain a valuable asset for all to enjoy. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. The funding is administered by the Maine DEP in partnership with the EPA. The EPA does not endorse any commercial products or services. The grant encourages local organizations, primarily volunteer groups, to work collaboratively in addressing watershed issues.
The aim of the Mousam Lake watershed work will be to reduce what is known as nonpoint source pollution (NPS). Nonpoint source pollution is pollution from diffuse sources on the landscape that is picked up and carried by rainfall runoff or snowmelt into water bodies. While one might think that storm water run-off finding its way into the lake would not impact water quality quite the opposite is true. Storm water carries soil and debris which contains phosphorus. It is this phosphorus that fuels algae growth and contributes to water quality decline. Across an entire watershed a significant amount of soil and debris can be washed into a waterbody on a yearly basis. Reducing storm water run-off is a critical step in protecting water quality. Mousam Lake currently enjoys good water quality, but this is no guarantee of clear water into the future. Slowly accumulating phosphorus can cause a dramatic decline in water quality leading to green murky algal blooms. The three organizations participating in the grant have a long history of conservation related work in the Mousam Lake Watershed. The grant will allow for larger projects to be done targeting drainage issues along camp roads and lakefront properties to be addressed. The grant requires cash or in-kind match for each project, which allows these high impact sites to get fixed in a cost-effective manner.
The grant would never have been possible if it were not for the generous donation of $5000 from the Harry A. Mapes Trust. The Mapes family are longtime summer residents on Mousam Lake and have been benefactors to many area organizations over the years. The money from the Mapes Family funded a comprehensive watershed survey of Mousam Lake in the fall of 2017 which in turn made the lake eligible to participate in the grant process. A copy of the Mousam Lake Watershed Based Protection Plan is available online at the www.mousamlake.org under the Our Lake tab.
The Mousam Lake Watershed 319 grant will be administered by the YCSWCD. The Project Manager, Jennifer Harris, can be reached at jharris@yorkswcd.org or by phone at (207) 324-0888 Ext. 208 with any questions related to the grant. A steering committee of local citizens and representatives from Three Rivers Land Trust, MLRA and ASYCC will provide oversight. The preliminary planning work began this March and project work is to be completed from 2019 through 2020 with the grant finishing up in December of 2020. The Mousam Lake Watershed Based Protection Plan provided the sites that will be initially addressed. Property owners along the Mousam Lake shorefront and in the watershed can learn more of the planned work by contacting Jennifer Harris or David Landry of the MLRA. Additionally, there is still time to have sites evaluated for work under this grant. If lake residents are aware of areas where significant storm water run-off is finding its way into the lake they can contact the Mousam Lake Region Association to have the site evaluated.