A report released in July 2013 by the National Resources Defense Council showing that in 2012 Scarborough’s Ferry Beach tied for 5th place (out of 60) in Maine’s most contaminated beaches. Also at about that time, FOSM partnered with the University of New England to collect and analyze data gathered at the Mill Brook area of the marsh. The study  found water quality to be good overall, with one major exception: coliform bacteria rated as poor at all four sampling sites during almost every month of the study period. High coliform bacteria levels are the primary reason for closing clam flats.  

The Friends of the Scarborough Marsh (FOSM) has completed an eight month water quality study of Mill Brook, a tributary of the Nonesuch River. The project, focusing on a 1.7 mile stretch of the creek running from Sawyer Road, under US Rte 1 to the Eastern Trail, aimed to identify constraints the town faces in improving water quality to levels that would permit reopening clam flats for harvest. Overall, water quality was good, with one major exception: coliform bacteria rated as poor at all four sampling sites during every month except January, 2012. 

Mill Brook Water Quality Analysis Final Report (Friends of Scarborough Marsh, 2006)

Libby River Watershed Survey Final Report (Friends of Scarborough Marsh, 2000)