From Maine to California, communities across America struggle to provide clean drinking water to their residents. In contrast, the Boothbay region has a matchless opportunity to preserve our public drinking water supplies before we have a problem. The solution is both the simplest and least expensive way possible: if we can conserve enough of the undeveloped forest in our public water sources’ watersheds, the watersheds can continue to act as natural filters that clean water before it reaches the reservoirs. The Boothbay Region Clean Drinking Water Initiative (CDWI) invites the public to attend a lecture series to learn more about our drinking water sources and how everyone can help conserve this critical community resource. 

Starting in February and continuing through May, the CDWI will present three evening sessions on why and how to protect our local drinking water sources. Each session is a self-contained unit and participants may attend one, two or all three. 

The first lecture titled “Watershed 101” will be led by Rebecca Jacobs of Knox-Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District. This forum will provide a basic understanding of how watersheds work and why human activities within watersheds are critical to protecting water quality. Although our emphasis is on Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake, this session is relevant to all. We all live in a watershed! This event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ Bosarge Education Center.  

Next, Dr. Rachel Sipler, director of the Water Health and Humans Initiative and Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, will lead a session that explores what we know about Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake water quality, factors that influence water quality, and lake monitoring programs. This session will be held on March 5, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.   

The final session will focus on conservation easements. Angela Twitchell of Maine Coast Heritage Trust Land Trust and Nick Ullo of Boothbay Region Land Trust will co-lead this session. From local and statewide perspectives, they will discuss conservation easements, their principles and process, and the financial and conservation benefits for landowners and the community. As with session one, this forum has broader implications than our water supply watersheds. This session will be held on May 21 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm Preserve.         

All sessions are free to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Please consider joining us at one or more of these sessions to learn how we can protect a critical aspect of life on our beloved Boothbay peninsula –clean drinking water. For more information, please contact Jenn Cusick at cleandrinkingwater@bbrlt.org.