In the days leading up to the planning board decision on the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) expansion, misinformation about the status of Knickerbocker Lake was disseminated in the press and via email. The public, who relies on Knickerbocker Lake for drinking water and recreation, deserves accurate information.

In a letter to the Boothbay Register, Mr. Bill Cullina, executive director, CMBG stated that Knickerbocker Lake provides water to seasonal homes and businesses in what appeared to be an effort to downplay its significance. In reality, Knickerbocker Lake is an essential and irreplaceable part of the limited local public water supply for the region – not just a boost for seasonal users. Adams Pond alone does not contain enough water to support the current year-round needs of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport. Knickerbocker Lake contains 60 percent of the publicly available water on the peninsula. It’s essential now and as economic development proceeds, it will be more crucial in the future.

In emails and in the press, Mr. Cullina has stated that Knickerbocker Lake’s water quality is rated as average by Maine DEP. In fact, DEP and the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program categorize Knickerbocker Lake’s water quality as below average. Mr. Cullina appears to have confused DEP’s phosphorus allocation model, which sets the allowable level of phosphorus export for the CMBG project and Knickerbocker watershed, with overall water quality categorization. 

Knickerbocker Lake is listed in Chapter 502 of the Maine Stormwater Law as “Most at Risk from New Development” and is one of the 151 Maine lakes (out of Maine’s thousands of lakes) listed as a Non-point Source Priority Watershed. DEP has concluded that Knickerbocker Lake has been adversely affected by development and is vulnerable to future development. To publicly diminish the vulnerability of this lake and its watershed is a disservice to the community.

Mr. Cullina, in the press, emails and public meetings, has made comparisons between the nonpoint source pollution and shoreline homes with that of the CMBG proposal. Most properties along the lake (off Back River Road and Barters Island Road) were developed prior to shoreland zoning and the town’s own watershed ordinances. Development as currently exists along Back River Road would not be allowed today and the problems we found in our watershed survey show it shouldn’t be. 

Also, the notion that only shorefront properties affect water quality is certainly not supported by a substantial body of watershed research. Today, with existing shoreland zoning protection, it is actually other key areas of the watersheds that are in need of more protection. In terms of water quality, intact forests, streams and wetlands are the best protection available.

This fall, the water district obtained a Clean Water Act grant that will allow the District and the town of Boothbay to finish fixing the major non-point sources of pollution found in the 2014 watershed survey, including those along Back River Road. Since 2014, we have brought in over $150,000 in grants to fix pollution problems we have found in the watersheds. Improving lake water quality is our goal and we will continue to work with the town of Boothbay and interested property owners to reach this goal.

Lastly Mr. Cullina and his staff repeatedly stated that there were no grant opportunities to install public sewer to the new massive expansion at the CMBG. This is simply an untrue statement. 

If public infrastructure had been required it would reduce the inevitable contamination of Knickerbocker Lake from the CMBG septic systems now pending approval of the state. All along the BRWD was ready and willing to assist the CMBG actively seek grant funding and was already diligently working on behalf of the town of Boothbay and the CMBG on three separate funding sources including an application for a community development block grant (CDBG) for economic development, quite possibly valued in excess of $400,000 and a system consolidation grant from the state for an additional $100,000. Although not enough to fund the total cost, it would have gone a long way to helping the CMBG manage the expected increase in its wastewater production. Unfortunately Mr. Cullina was not interested in working with the BRWD actively pursuing these funding sources and a great opportunity for the public good was missed.

CMBG is undeniably an important economic driver and great asset to the community, but the whole local economy rests squarely on the public water supply. We need to not underestimate the vulnerability of Knickerbocker Lake and its watershed, and how significant the cost of water quality declines would be to the entire region.

Jonathan E. Ziegra is the general manager of the Boothbay Region Water District