Stewardship of Resources Projects

Projects Underway

The project below are currently active and have been informed by community feedback.

The majority of the following projects are listed within the Town's 2025 Workplan.

Northeast Creek Existing Studies Summary

FB Environmental conducted an analysis of existing studies related to the Northeast Creek Watershed. The report can be found here.

Northeast Creek Volunteer River Monitoring Program

Strategy 3: Allow Rural Development while Protecting Water and Sensitive Resources

The Town of Bar Harbor has enrolled in the Maine Department of Environmental Protection's Volunteer River Monitoring Program (VRMP). This statewide program assists in the coordination of quality-assured river and stream sampling. Planning Department Staff will be coordinating a group of volunteers to gather water quality information and samples in tributaries within the Northeast Creek Watershed beginning in June 2025. The ultimate goal is to extend this sampling effort for multiple years to ensure a good baseline of data is collected to better understand the current health of the Northeast Creek Watershed. Results are collected and analyzed utilizing the Sampling Action Plan.

The map below depicts the locations within the Watershed that will be sampled in the 2025 season. Of these 8 sampling locations, 5 are locations previously sampled in USGS studies. The 3 new sites are NEC01, SB01, and OMB02. 

NEC VRMP LOCATIONS 

Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Control Grant

Strategy 3: Allow Rural Development while Protecting Water and Sensitive Resources

On May 28, 2025, the Planning Department Staff, with assistance from FB Environmental, applied for the Maine DEP Nonpoint Source Pollution Grant. This grant will assist the Town in funding work to inventory and analyze septic systems within the Northeast Creek Watershed, continue stream sampling, and provide recommendations to protect sensitive resources in the future.

Projects Ongoing

The projects below are not currently active and/or are ongoing in nature.

Projects Completed

The planning projects below have been completed and are now in the implementation phase.

  • There are no recently completed projects. Please refer to the Stewardship Resources page for past studies that have been completed.