Over the next several weeks, the Town of Camden will be conducting a survey of parts of the Megunticook River; surveyors will be in and around the river channel.

This work is part of the town’s ongoing effort to increase community resilience to climate change and restore and protect important wildlife habitat, according to Midcoast Conservancy, in a news release.

The survey has multiple goals: Improve understanding of flood risk during severe rain and snowmelt events as well as identify opportunities to reduce the risk; evaluate sources of sedimentation and other pollutants in the river; and identify fish passage barriers and possible solutions.

This work is made possible by grant funding from the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Shell, and Transre. NCRF restores, increases and strengthens natural infrastructure to protect coastal communities while also enhancing habitats for fish and wildlife.

Established in 2018, the National Coastal Resilience Fund invests in conservation projects that restore or expand natural features such as coastal marshes and wetlands, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, forests, coastal rivers and floodplains, and barrier islands that minimize the impacts of storms and other naturally occurring events on nearby communities.

The actual surveying will be done by two environmental consulting and engineering firms, Interfluve and Gartley & Dorsky. For the most part, surveyors will be traveling in the river channel itself and will not need to access private property, but in some cases they may need to walk along the shoreline.

The purpose of the survey IS NOT to use information for any type of enforcement action but to identify opportunities to improve the health of the watershed and mitigate downtown flooding, according to Midcoast Conservancy. Property owners may also take the opportunity to point out stormwater and flood related issues that may be relevant.

In order to accomplish the goals of the project, the Town has partnered with Midcoast Conservancy to manage the grant, answer questions from the public, and to help the Town evaluate the resulting information and options in a way that is science-based and community-driven.

Landowners along the river, as well as the general public, are invited to share knowledge, questions, or concerns with Midcoast Conservancy’s Senior Watershed Restoration Manager, Shri Verrill, by email at Shri@midcoastconservancy.org or by calling (207) 389-5177. More info about Midcoast Conservancy is available at www.midcoastconservancy.org.