The Friends of Scarborough Marsh intend to use the results of the Libby River Watershed Survey as the basis for the protection and restoration of water quality in the Libby River and the Scarborough River Estuary. According to the survey findings and the results of related evaluations presented in this report, the following measures should be taken to correct existing problems associated with polluted runoff and to guard against future problems:

1. Landowners should adopt practices in the care of their house, lawn, septic systems, cars, and pets that reduce the amount of pollutants that can be washed into nearby water bodies.
2. Landowners should establish vegetated buffers along nearby water bodies to capture pollutants that wash off of developed areas.
3. Landowners or organizations that are responsible for the repair and maintenance of stormwater control structures should inspect their structures for deficiencies, perform needed repairs or maintenance, and follow an inspection and maintenance schedule.
4. Private landowners and the Town of Scarborough should evaluate storm sewers and other drainage networks that discharge untreated stormwater in order to determine the feasibility of installing control structures or other pollutant removal devices or systems.
5. The watershed community should consider the development and implementation of a stormwater master plan that addresses the cumulative effects of stormwater runoff from existing and future development.
6. Private landowners and the Town of Scarborough should use available techniques and materials to prevent soil erosion and the associated sedimentation in nearby water bodies.

All of these recommendations could be combined into a comprehensive watershed management plan that outlines a strategy for meeting water quality protection and restoration goals. The management plan would detail how the "tools" of watershed protection would be used to meet the goals. The following tools are being used in other communities for watershed protection (Center for Watershed Protection, 1998):

• Land Conservation – involves choices about the types of land that should be conserved to protect a watershed

• Vegetated Buffers – involves choices on how to maintain the integrity of buffers along streams, ponds, rivers, and wetlands, and provide protection from disturbance
• Better Site Design – seeks to design individual development projects with less impervious area which will reduce runoff into local streams
• Erosion and Sediment Control – addresses the clearing and grading stage in the development cycle when runoff can carry high quantities of sediment into water bodies
• Stormwater Best Management Practices – involves choices about how, when, and where to build stormwater control structures in a watershed, and which combination of structures can best meet water quality goals
• Domestic Discharges – involves choices on how to control discharges from septic systems, illicit sanitary sewer connections to stormwater systems, and reducing pollution from household and industrial products
• Watershed Stewardship Programs – involves careful choices about how to promote private and public stewardship to sustain watershed management

How these tools might be used in the Libby River Watershed depends on factors such as the status of the headwater streams (i.e., sensitive, impacted, or non-supporting), the estuary (i.e., automatic closures of certain clam flats after a heavy rain), and the amount of land that is available for development. For example, if there is a considerable amount of land available for development in the subwatershed of a headwater stream that falls into the "sensitive" category, then the "land conservation" and "better site design" tools might have added importance for that subwatershed.

The success of watershed management plans and watershed protection tools has been well-documented in estuaries elsewhere in the country (Center for Watershed Protection, 1998). Implementation of a watershed management plan in Buttermilk Bay (northern end of Buzzards Bay in southern coastal Massachusetts) has resulted in the turnaround of water quality and the opening of clam flats in that estuary. This was accomplished, in large part, by directing the discharge from storm drains into a system that infiltrates stormwater into the ground rather dumping it directly into the bay.

The success of any watershed management plan depends on the support and involvement of the watershed community. Accordingly, individual landowners, neighborhood associations, developers, municipal officials, local businesses, and the commercial shellfish industry should all be participants in the creation and implementation of the plan. Although there may be some Federal and State funds available to kick-start a plan or to design and construct projects that demonstrate techniques for preventing or treating polluted runoff, the financial burden for sustaining the plan would rest with the community.

The value of the Libby River and the Scarborough River Estuary is threatened by polluted runoff, especially as the town continues to grow. Polluted runoff can greatly impair water quality and restrict the commercial and recreational uses of the estuary as well as harm wildlife habitat. The problem may only get worse if water quality awareness, management, and protection are not promoted. The good news is that each of us can participate in the process to protect and restore water quality.