An algae bloom, possibly caused by pollution, clouds the water in Maquoit Bay in 2022. Glenn Michaels photo
The Brunswick Town Council Monday night approved spending $125,000 on a water-quality study of Maquoit Bay to guide how the town uses 283 acres around the bay the council purchased to save from a massive housing development.
The study is expected to be conducted by FB Environmental, which a task force selected over Tetra Tech for recommendation to the council. The Portland companies were the only ones to submit bids to conduct the study.
The bay’s health has worsened in recent years due to rising water temperatures and stormwater runoff that carries harmful fertilizers and pesticides, among other possible factors, according to town officials. Algae blooms have been reported, and last year, 4 acres of clams died.
The council last year purchased 283 acres around the bay for $4 million to stop a 900-unit housing development that environmental groups said would negatively affect the health of the bay.
The study will establish a baseline of the bay’s health and examine the effects of land- and water-based activity, including clam farms.
“One of the key roadblocks as a town for determining how we can effectively make use of that parcel in a way that does not overwhelm the bay is to understand the water-quality issues, understanding what has happened to it now, what more it can take,” Councilor Dan Ankeles said. “We want to best understand how to manage our watersheds effectively and manage development effectively as we try to address our housing crisis and make sure we conserve open space properly in a way that meshes with our overall plan.”
The town also applied for a grant through Maine Coastal and Marine Climate Action to help pay for the study and expects a decision in December.
Some citizens have advocated conserving the entire 283-acre parcel, while others have proposed building a smaller housing development of affordable units.
Jeanne Ramsay lives near the bay, and she told the council she has noticed algae blooms and the disappearance of eel grass recently.
“These are concerning,” she said, urging the council to approve funding the water-quality study. “The bay is a precious natural resource and deserves to be safeguarded for everyone: clamdiggers, lobstermen, bass fishermen, shellfish harvesters, kayakers and boaters alike.”
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