In 2014, a watershed survey identified 49 source points for erosion and runoff problems around Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake. In the past six years, 40 have been remediated using a series of traditional and innovative methods by Boothbay Region Water District. A fairly simple project was combating an erosion problem at a Knickerbocker Lake cottage. The cottage’s roof runoff combined with bare soils on the lawn contributed to significant runoff into the lake. The water district installed an infiltration trench capturing roof runoff and planted native vegetation and a mulch covering into the nearby ground.

A larger, more complex erosion problem was solved on Pine Woods Road. A steep road adjacent to Route 27 had no stormwater control and had washed out for several years. This dumped a significant amount of sediment and dirty water into Adams Pond. The district installed a large stormwater control system. The road was resurfaced and pitched slightly which directed water toward the system. Jody Lewis did the work on Pine Woods Road under contract to the district.

Most water district projects, including those two, are achieved through sweat and dollars. Resource Protection Manager Sue Mello is responsible for identifying potential stormwater erosion runoff spots within the watershed. She is also charged with finding grant money to fund remediations. Since 2014, Mello has secured $281,380 in grants. Most were used to fix or improve non-point source pollution around the watershed. Most state and federal grants require a match of approximately 40% which either the water district or property owners provide.

Since 2014, the district has received $65,000 from a Maine Drinking Water Protection Source Water fund. This is an annual grant which limits contributions to $10,000 per year. Mello said most of the funds go toward runoff/erosion problems, but some are used for public education, land management, research and surveys, and the district’s Lake Friendly Grant. 

In 2015, the district created a Lake Friendly Grant which provides technical assistance and up to $1,000 in matching funds to watershed property owners for addressing runoff/erosion or replacing failing septic or heating oil tanks. In the program’s five-year existence, the district has approved 16 projects and dispersed $16,383 in local grants. The Lake Friendly Grants are for smaller projects for which property owners are required to provide up to a 40% match which may include labor.

Another state grant has helped rehabilitate a stream and buy a 70-acre parcel for creating a land preserve. In 2015, the district received an $85,630 Maine Natural Resource Protection grant. The district used these funds to buy an Adams Road property for conservation. The district put all but three acres into conservation which allowed the couple to keep their home. “We want to conserve undeveloped watershed land because there is a direct link between how much of a watershed is forested and water quality. As a watershed gets developed, water quality declines. Watershed land conservation is an effective way to protect public water supplies,” Mello said.

In 1987, an amendment to the Clean Water Act established Section 319 Non-Point Source Management. This provided grant money for implementing non-point source management programs. BRWD has received three 319 Grants since 2016 totaling $130,750. These federal grants required a local 40% match totaling $87,166.

In 2017, the district used 319 Grants to complete 12 projects and, in 2018, completed 12 more. Mello expects to complete six or seven projects this year with 319 Grants. “Only one non-point source grant project was done in 2019 because we had a hard time lining up a contractor for Pine Woods Road, and I didn't want to commit to more before I knew the cost,” she said.

As technology improves, the district has more options for challenging erosion and stormwater runoff projects. In recent years, GeoWeb and GeoPave have emerged as effective methods of protecting the watershed. GeoPave and GeoWeb are brand names for GeoSystems products for creating porous pavements, soil stabilization and portable mats. According to a GeoSystems brochure, GeoPave and GeoWeb allow water to filter through stone and stay on-site instead of running off. GeoWeb stabilizes soils on shoreline embankments, creating a structurally stable environment for infill. The system minimizes erosion problems caused by water contact, surface flows, and small scale wave action. GeoPave is a porous pavement system. It confines and stabilizes open graded aggregate for highly porous pavements.

In 2016, the district installed GeoWeb at two roadside pullouts used by the public on Adams Pond Road. “These areas eroded so close to the lake there were not many options. We installed GeoWeb with stone fill and it’s held up very well,” Mello said. 

This summer, the district installed GeoPave at a steep driveway on Back River Road in Boothbay. “This has been a runoff source for years,” Mello said. “The driveway is so steep that only paving (asphalt) or GeoPave were good remediation options. (GeoPave/GeoWeb) are not appropriate for every situation, but have worked great here where they’ve been used.”

The district grades potential projects on two basic criteria: How close the problem is to the water source, and how much money is available. “Anybody with a problem, even a minor one, we will help them,” Mello said. The district and Boothbay Public Works Department perform the labor and occasionally a private contractor is hired, she said. “We can do more if the district or town does the work because hiring private contractors can be expensive.”

In 2021, the district is looking to use 319 Grant money to address erosion and stormwater runoff on Gaecklein Road.