Dear Editor:

Many thanks to Win Mitchell for bringing the alarming state of Knickerbocker Lake to the attention of the Boothbay Selectmen. Residents of Knickerbocker Lake have been sounding the alarm to the Water District (BRWD) and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for several years, but feel these warnings have fallen on deaf ears.

When the BRWD was granted a permit to withdraw water from Knickerbocker Lake, the permit required a study after one year of pumping to ensure the withdrawal levels were safe. The study is called a Safe Yield Study.

For 18 years, the BRWD has withdrawn up to 51 million gallons annually under a permit that was never followed up with the required study. Despite repeated public records requests, neither the BRWD nor the DEP has produced a copy — leading us to conclude it was never completed.

I ask the residents and businesses of the Boothbay region to join us in calling on the BRWD to complete this study ASAP. With continued drought, increased building in the region, and the Botanical Gardens wanting to tap into BRWD water, we need to understand the reality of our current water situation before one of our limited water resources is destroyed beyond repair.

Lori Cozzi

Boothbay