West Harbor Pond Watershed Association held its annual membership meeting and potluck Aug. 8 marking its first in-person meeting since 2019. Bigelow Laboratory President and CEO Deborah Bronk was scheduled to speak, but could not attend due to a medical emergency, WHPWA President Merritt Blakeslee said. However, WHPWA board member Judy Kildow, also a trustee at the Lab, spoke about her experience with Bronk and her contributions toward WHPWA.

Bronk helped WHPWA understand the significance of the water quality it had been collecting since 2013. In particular, she was able to confirm that the replacement siphon, installed in March 2019, had significantly improved the water quality of the Pond. “Working pro bono as the head of a lab and already working 24/7, when she got back to Merritt, she said, 'If you need any more assistance, you just let me know.'”

Blakeslee introduced the board of directors giving members updates and talking about ongoing initiatives including the LakeSmart program which tracks erosion and phosphate runoff, a new water gauge installed in August 2020, four types of regular water quality testing and WHPWA’s success convincing Maine Department of Transportation to stop spraying herbicide on a portion of Lakeside Drive.

Future initiatives will include trying to get MDOT to move spraying even further from the pond, filling out the board which has eight of 11 seats filled, developing a watershed plan and plugging the old siphon which is a growing concern, said Blakeslee. “The old siphon is still there, but what's not still there is the check-valve that was installed with it in 1880 … Every time the water level in the harbor is higher than the water level in the pond, the big siphon operates in reverse. I've stood on top of the open hatch and watched the salt water just pouring into the pond.”

After honoring outgoing treasurer Libby Reinhart for her services since 2012, Blakeslee led WHPWA in honoring five non-members who have helped the Association and the Pond: Boothbay Harbor Sewer District's Chris Higgins, Pat and Kipp Farrin, Boothbay Region Water District's Dale Harmon and Maine Department of Marine Resources' Jason Bartlett.

Higgins has been an endless source of wisdom in the chemistry and ecology of the pond, has helped WHPWA with much of the testing and is to thank for BHSD's donation of testing equipment; the Farrins installed the new siphon, a project during the brutally cold months of December 2018 and March 2019, said Blakeslee. They gave a discount for their labor due to the environmental aspect of the project and the work was grueling, said Blakeslee: The harbor-side pipe-laying involved tippy workstations in frigid, ankle-deep waters and the pond-side work involved laying the pipes out with weights and sawing through the ice around the pipe until it submerged itself.

BRWD donated the piping needed for the siphon and the labor of fusing. Harmon and his crew designed and built the ball, gate and check valves that make up the siphon apparatus, said Blakeslee. Said Harmon accepting a certificate and WHPWA hat, “It was a very interesting, very fun project and definitely challenging. I'd never built a siphon before. But it was fun and I'm glad it's worked as successfully as it has …”

Bartlett has been in charge of the American eel life cycle study for DMR over the past few years and that means he has been the eyes and ears to let WHPWA know when the siphon needs to be on or off or if there are any other issues, Blakeslee said. “There are only two states in the U.S. that still have an eels fishery, South Carolina and Maine. Maine's fishery is teetering on the brink of deregulation and what's staving that off is this life cycle study. Jason is preserving Maine's eel fishery.”

“I certainly enjoy working out here,” said Bartlett. “This week I'll be out setting my pots again, so anytime you're down on your docks and you see me going by and you want to talk eels, just flag me down and I'll fill you in.”

Tbis article has been updated from it original posting.