MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026
The federal government is granting $8 million to the Portland Water District in the second phase of an effort to sustain water quality and improve aquatic habitat in the Sebago Lake watershed. The USDA funding will combine conservation easements on 2,000 acres and manage 4,000 acres of forests that filter water before it reaches the watershed. According to Sebago Clean Waters, a coalition of organizations dedicated to the health of the watershed, half of the award will be used for reconnecting streams and rivers for organism and fish passage. The remainder will fund forest management and conserve acreage.