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
July 18, 2021
Our Courtesy Boat Inspection Season has started as of April 21, 2021 and now we are in full season mode.
Here are the number of Inspections done as of July 18,2021:
| 2021 | 3,487 | 620 | 4,107 |
| 2020 | 7,702 | 1,621 | 9,323 |
| 2019 | 5,758 | 908 | 6,666 |
| 2018 | 6,858 | 1,012 | 7,870 |
June 18, 2021
The ASYCC will be hosting a BMP workshop on July 13th from 9-noon for interested residents of the Square Pond watershed to learn about erosion and stormwater control Best Management Practices- everything from what to select for a site, what permits you need, and a hands-on demonstration of how to install them.
Here is a flyer to advertise this workshop, which will be held at 742 West Shore Drive in Acton. Please feel free to share this with your networks, on social media, etc. to help us get the word out! Space will be limited due to parking constraints, but we are planning to provide shuttling from the Square Pond Boat Launch if needed as well as record the workshop and make that available online for folks that are unable to attend. Also available to share is the video made from the Mousam Lake BMP workshop last year, available here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TaaWqYevls.
June 7, 2021
We have a New Grant Sponsor the the ASYCC! The Davis Conservation Foundation provides grants to charitable organizations primarily in northern New England in support of projects related to wildlife, wildlife habitat, environmental protection and outdoor recreation.
June 5, 2021
Our ECC full season will begin June 21, 2021 and continue through August 13, 2021. In addition, we held a pre-season clean the beach day at Mousam Lake on Saturday May 22nd. We are looking forward to another great year with many 319 Grant projects lined up that include home-owner reimbursements.
June 4, 2021
The 17th Annual Golf Tournament To Benefit the Acton-Shapleigh Youth Conservation Corps, Sponsored In Part by the Lake Associations of Mousam Lake and Square Pond, will be held on Friday, July 30, 2021
2021 Golfer Registration
2021 Sponsor Form
November 9, 2020
Our 2020 Annual Report is now available.
September 11, 2020
Storm Water Runoff...a Threat to Maine Lake Water Quality
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.
As part of this Mousam Lake 319 grant, Dave Landry (an MLRA Board Member) with help from his daughters, have created an educational video regarding storm water runoff in conjuction with a Best Management Practices (BMP) Workshop that was conducted last July by the ASYCC and the York County Soil & Water Conservation District.
Click here to view the video
Or View on You Tube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TaaWqYevls
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.