Water Unites
-by Tim Trumbauer
In a world where divide and conquer is an increasingly pervasive strategy, we need to celebrate those things that unite us. No matter your perspective, pretty much everyone should actively support clean water. Some of us earn a living from the water through fisheries or tourism; some of us have homes on the water; some of us find solace or renewal in our local liquid landscape; and some of us rely on our local waters for sustenance. Lakes, rivers, bays, wetlands, bogs, and all waters are central to the way of life in Midcoast Maine, and everyone should have the right to fish, paddle, swim, earn a living, and otherwise enjoy our local waters without the fear of getting sick. These are just some of the reasons that Midcoast Conservancy takes clean water so seriously.
Consider, for a moment, Broad Cove in Bremen. As detailed in a scientific report from consulting firm FB Environmental, some recent water quality samples in Broad Cove showed bacteria pollution levels at or above the range of their testing equipment – exceeding EPA’s recommended threshold for recreational waters by more than one hundred-fold. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the community is uniting to solve this problem. Members of the Bremen Select Board, the Bremen Shellfish Conservation Committee, the Medomak Valley Council at Midcoast Conservancy, and other local community members are working together to identify and eliminate pollution sources.
Where is the pollution in Broad Cove coming from? The honest answer is that we don’t know yet. Based on previous water quality sampling, we strongly suspect that the issues in Broad Cove are coming from multiple sources. We also know that rivers don’t pollute themselves and bacteria pollution tends to come from local sources. With local pollution comes a local solution – we have the ability to fix this issue.
And it’s worth noting that finger-pointing is almost always a failed strategy that divides our community instead of uniting. Of course, bad faith polluters must be held accountable, but most likely whatever or whomever is causing this pollution does not know they are the source. Once sources are identified, we shouldn’t back anyone into a corner. Instead, we should offer help through education and resources to help mitigate the pollution and, perhaps more importantly, prevent pollution sources in the future. Prevention is far more effective and efficient than restoration.
Protect what you love, and we should all unite around loving and protecting the Medomak River, Muscongus Bay, Broad Cove, and all the waters of Midcoast Maine.
Tim Trumbauer is Midcoast Conservancy’s Director of Water and Communications.
