To be an effective advocate requires honesty, integrity and an objective approach to the problems we are trying to solve. Penobscot Bay is one of the most frequently studied watersheds in the nation. Under the Investigate pillar of our strategic plan, we plan to leverage the accumulated water quality and ecology data along with new information on emerging and legacy threats to protect the health of our waters.

As Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper works to protect and restore the waters of the bay, river and tributaries, we look forward to working with a diverse set of stakeholders and partners that have the knowledge, history and cultural connection to the watershed and its communities. We will communicate and engage with communities throughout the watershed to better understand what it means to have a healthy watershed for all who live there, and how Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper can provide support.

WATER QUALITY INVESTIGATION OBJECTIVES

• Maintain an on-the-water presence and respond to and document reported water quality issues.

• Conduct a gap analysis of existing and historical water quality and ecological monitoring within the Penobscot Bay Watershed.

• Review discharge and other permit information throughout the watershed for compliance.

• Review existing environmental enforcement regimes at federal, state and local levels.

• Analyze existing water quality data in order to identify of the watershed with the most critical water quality health concerns.

• Develop a Water Quality Monitoring Program to complement existing efforts around the watershed and collaborate with other organizations and partners on water quality assessment projects.