Page "Columbia, Maine" Paragraph 58

Water withdrawals for irrigation of agricultural crops are of concern to some residents and there is discussion of the town regulating water withdrawals from surface waters.

There are commercial production wells in the northwestern part of Columbia and surface water withdrawals also occur from Schoodic Lake, Duck Pond and Myers Pond.

Surface water withdrawals in Cherryfield from Crane Pond are also of concern as these are the headwaters of the Harrington River tributaries that flow through Columbia.

Concerns include the long term impact of withdrawals of low water on Atlantic Salmon and other aquatic species such as native brook trout.

The state legislature resolved in 2001, by Public Law 619 not to regulate water withdrawals in organized townships.

Instead they chose to study the amounts and uses of existing water withdrawals and to develop a reporting system to gather this information.

Columbia would like such studies to include the rivers within their boundaries.