Where We Came From

Charlie Turner writes: RWPA started about 50 years ago by Ernest Bickford and Ernie Knight, to monitor and preserve the lake water quality of all Raymond lakes. They alternated the president's position each year until Ernest Bickford's death, after which Chris Coe became president. In these early years coliform bacteria was thought to be the greatest danger to our lakes, and measures were initiated to combat this menace until studies around the early seventies confirmed that phosphorus was a far greater threat. Since the beginning of RWPA's testing, all of our lakes have been placed in the above average category for lake water quality in the entire state, a position we enjoy to this very day. Our organization grew slowly to the point where it became necessary to hire a full-time executive director in the late nineties, when Noralee Raymond came aboard. She greatly expanded the scope of activities, including grant writing, erosion control and involvement in state and local issues regarding the environment. Her tenure also included the purchase and outfitting of our diver-assisted suction harvester (DASH), which is now in service. Now, with the spectre of invasive species looming over our lakes, RWPA has expanded our obligations even further to include voluntary boat inspections and plant surveys.

(Charlie's too modest - he had a lot more to do with founding and developing RWPA than he's inclined to admit.)

Our Mission The mission of RWPA is to protect and improve the water quality of Raymond's lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams and to foster watershed stewardship.

Meet the people of RWPA

Board of Directors



DASH crew   These are the people working to remove invasive milfoil from Sebago Lake and the Jordan River (Panther Run). You may not see them often, but they're working hard to reduce the infestations of invasive plants in these water bodies. Please be careful when approaching milfoil operations, as there may be divers working in the water. Look for guidance from the visible boat crew.

Courtesy Boat Inspectors   You'll see our yellow-shirted inspectors at boat ramps around the Raymond Lakes in the summer. They're there to help you inspect your boat when launching and retrieving, and to explain the importance of preventing the spread of invasive plants and animals from one lake to another. We hope you'll greet them with a smile and a word of thanks for helping to keep our beautiful lakes and ponds the way you want to find them.