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Watersheds

Josias Watershed

	DESCRIPTION: The Josias River Watershed drains 7.4 square miles in portions of York and Ogunquit, Maine. It includes the main stem of the Josias River, Josias, Clay Hill and Muddy Brooks, and numerous small ponds and wetlands. The wetland includes portions of large forest blocks and scattered agricultural land, as well as areas of high value habitat for endangered and threatened wildlife, and rare plants. Several small parcels of private conservation land are located at the headwaters of the watershed. The main stem of the river is 5.75 miles long and drops 220 feet, as it runs east to its mouth at Perkins Cove. The majority of the landscape in the Josias River Watershed is undeveloped forestland. The areas of highest development are concentrated near the coast and along Route 1.

	CURRENT ISSUES: Water quality has been a concern as development, particularly east of Route 1, increases in the watershed. Testing by the Ogunquit Conservation Commission in 2004 and 2005 showed high levels of fecal coliform and poorly functioning septic systems are suspected. Perkins Cove is an intensively developed and used area for the tourist economy. It is not known how the water quality of Josias River effects the local swimming beaches.

Key Resource(s) for Josias Watershed:
(Click the Title of the entry below to learn more.)

	Great Works Regional Land Trust Community Assistance Providers Serving the communities of Berwick, Eliot, Ogunquit, and Wells.
	Ogunquit Conservation Commission Community Assistance Providers Active in water quality monitoring on both the Josias and Ogunquit Rivers in Maine.
	York Rivers Association Community Assistance Providers A group of citizens, non-profit organizations, local, state and federal agencies working together to protect and restore the rivers of York.

Towns located in Watershed:

	Ogunquit [ME]
	York [ME]

Counties located in Watershed:

	York [ME]
	Website: www.co.york.me.us
	Phone: 207-324-1571
	Population SWIM Towns:	121,400
	Total County Population:	202,232 (U.S. Census Est. 2006)
	Area SWIM Towns:	645.3 square miles
	Total County Area:	1002.6 square miles

Waterbodies located in Watershed:
(WC-watercourse, WB-waterbody)

Clay Hill Brook [WC]; Josias Brook [WC]; Josias River [WC]; Muddy Brook [WC]

HISTORY:
Perkins Cove at the mouth of the Josias River was created in 1951 by the Army Corps of Engineers with the dredging of a 5 foot deep anchorage at the head of the cove 3.2 acres in size in what was known as Flat Pond. The anchorage has a maximum width of 400 feet. In conjunction a 900 foot long channel was dredged to the Gulf of Maine. The boat basin was enlarged by an acre in 1960 and the entrance channel deepened to seven feet in 1993.