The Meduxnekeag River flows right through the heart of Houlton, Maine and serves as a lifeline for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, who have lived off the river for centuries. However, runoff from urban development and agriculture has led to declines in water quality and, as a result, the health of aquatic flora and fauna.

These declines are of particular concern to the tribe, who has observed losses in native brook trout populations and shoreside vegetation growth and availability over the years.

In response to this, documentation of water quality changes has been ongoing for three decades in order to record how conditions change in the larger Meduxnekeag River watershed.

Meduxnekeag River drought conditions along tribal lands. (Credit: Rhonda Cochran / Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians)

Water Quality Monitoring in the Meduxnekeag River Watershed

The 514 square mile watershed has about 915 miles of streams and brooks that all feed into the mainstem Meduxnekeag River. Rhonda Cochran, Water Resources Specialist for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, oversees data collection in these waterways, managing a suite of equipment that are positioned at key points along the river and its tributaries.

With such a large territory to monitor, Cochran utilizes continuous monitoring stations to collect data over time. Eight YSI EXO3 multiparameter water quality sondes and three PME miniDOTs on tributaries are used to collect data continuously in the Meduxnekeag River watershed.

The sondes measure dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and turbidity, while the miniDOTs measure dissolved oxygen and temperature. The sensors are deployed 5 months out of the year with monthly data download and calibration.

Also in the tributaries, approximately fifteen HOBO temperature pendants are deployed to measure water temperature. There are also three flow photo cameras paired with HOBO pendants collecting air temperature, the data from which is reported to the USGS Flow Photo Explorer project.

Cochran also oversees baseline sampling, such as collecting bacteria, nutrient, and algae samples in the watershed.

Summer Technician and Maliseet tribal member, Kurtis Reynolds, retrieving the EXO 3 water quality sonde. (Credit: Rhonda Cochran / Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians)

Threats to the Meduxnekeag River

Flow levels are of particular importance to the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians since low flow can lead to increases in water temperature. Warmer water can harm the native fisheries and aquatic organisms.

Thermally sensitive fish like salmonids, which are culturally important to the Maliseet tribe, tend to seek refuge from the heat or become sick and die, leading to changes in the population and distribution of the species.

“When the waters tend to get to warm, like today, the river temperature is 25 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit), those waters are too warm for aquatic organisms and brook trout fisheries, and it’s important for the Maliseet tribe to maintain these waters for cultural purposes,” explains Cochran.

Additionally, these varying flows, in addition to runoff from urban centers and agricultural operations, also threaten shoreside vegetation that the tribe relies on. Runoff from the land has also led to the influx of sediment into the waterway, which can lead to algal blooms and other declines in water quality that impact aquatic species.

Moose Brook in July 2025 during drought conditions. (Credit: Rhonda Cochran / Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians)

Documenting Changes in the Meduxnekeag River Watershed

Monitoring changes in the Meduxnekeag River is essential to ensuring that the tribe can continue to live off the land. To make sure the river meets its classification attainment designated by the state, keeping the watershed healthy and minimizing any future declines is essential to protecting the resource in the long term.

Data from the monitoring program is used to assess the overall health of the watershed and individual waterways and see if conditions are worsening, improving, or remaining the same.

Fortunately, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians is working hard to document changes in the Meduxnekeag River watershed and has continued to develop their water quality monitoring program year after year, gathering a long-term dataset that visualizes how conditions have changed over time.

Cochran explains, “Watershed protection is our goal–from threats ranging from polluted storm water from agriculture to urban run-off and dischargers. Waters must be of sufficient quality to support all aquatic species indigenous to receiving waters without causing detrimental changes in the biological community.”

She continues, “Knowing and understanding what the data tells me, and how to interpret the data the water resources program collects, really makes my job fulfilling.”

Water Technician and Maliseet tribal member, Sam St. John, securing an EXO 3 sonde with summer technicians and fellow tribal members, Kurtis Reynolds and Caden Shaw. (Credit: Rhonda Cochran, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians)