Taking a proactive approach, the Town of Scarborough is developing the Red Brook Watershed Based Management Plan in collaboration with the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District.  The main purpose of the project is to develop a locally supported watershed based management plan.  The plan will outline a strategy to help minimize stream impacts from new and existing development and improve water quality and wildlife habitat in Red Brook.

Background:
Red Brook currently supports a native brook trout population.  In past surveys, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife biologists have found trout up to 10 inches long.  The trout can be found throughout the brook but especially in its upper sections.  

Red Brook has been listed as impaired by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP)for degraded habitat and PCB contamination.  The source of PCB’s was identified and contaminated soils have since been sealed off.  While PCB’s take a long time to break down, this work will hopefully decrease PCB levels in the stream over time.  In the meantime, even though the fish look fine, it is important not to eat them until the fish consumption advisory has been lifted.   

In addition, impacts from development within the watershed also threaten the Brook.  Impaired habitat issues have landed the brook on MDEP’s “Urban Impaired Streams.”  These are water bodies that do not meet state and federal water quality classifications due to polluted runoff from rooftops, parking lots and roads.  

One component of this project will be to collect baseline water quality data.  The last water quality assessment of Red Brook was conducted by MDEP in 2002.   Conditions documented through this project will enable the Town and MDEP to compare future monitoring results and determine if water quality is improving or declining. 

Contact Information:
Betty Williams
(207) 892-4700
betty-williams"at"cumberlandswcd.org *

*Note: Replace "at" with @