Watersheds We Help Protect
Watersheds We Help Protect > Northeast > Garden Spring
Garden Spring, Maine
Bradbury Spring is located in Kingfield, Maine, within the watershed of the West Branch of the Carrabassett River. The geologic conditions that support the Bradbury Spring site originated approximately 14,000 years ago when Maine was covered by continental glaciers. When the glaciers melted between 11,000 and 13,200 years ago, meltwater streams formed outwash deposits of gravel, sand, and silt. For approximately nine miles along the watershed below the southeast slope of Mt. Abraham, the West Branch flows over porous sand and gravel aquifer deposits that lie in the valley. The spring site is located on these glacial deposits, which are over 100 feet thick and have the potential to produce more than 50 gallons of water per minute. Approximately 36,700 acres of watershed drainage area is located upgradient from the spring site.
QUICK FACTS*
Conserved Acres: 7
Total Acres: 17
2023 Withdrawals (Mgal): 21,027,309
% of Annual Watershed Precipitation:<0.8%
Water Stress: very low risk
Figure 1: Maine’s Water Cycle
The surficial geologic deposits from which Garden Spring flows are largely the result of the most recent glacial episode in Maine, which began about 35,000 years ago when the Laurentide Ice Sheet overspread southern Quebec and New England. The Laurentide Ice Sheet began receding about 21,000 years ago. The advance and retreat of the glacier left behind a complex arrangement of surficial deposits. The surficial geology of the Garden Spring property was formed by a glacial meltwater stream that formed within a tunnel or crevice in the melting glacier as it receded. The deposits left behind from the stream channel are typically sands and gravel that formed an esker ridge when the surrounding ice disappeared.
DEFINITION OF A SPRING
A spring is the location where groundwater (water that exists beneath the earth’s surface) naturally emerges from the ground. BlueTriton withdraws spring water in Poland at Garden Spring. The withdrawal locations - or “boreholes” - intercept Garden Spring water before it naturally emerges from the ground. There are two spring water boreholes in Poland at Garden Spring.
WATER WITHDRAWALS
In Maine, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulates spring water withdrawal through the issuance of permits. The DEP required extensive scientific investigations and evaluations of the site before issuing a permit. These investigations and their findings were used by the DEP to set a sustainable spring water extraction volume limit from Garden Spring sources of 82 million gallons of water per year.
While this may seem like a large number, it is important to remember that, annually, 10.3 billion gallons or 48 inches of water fall on the watershed to the Garden Spring site in the form of precipitation (based on a 10-year average at National Climatic Data Center Station 177856 in Poland, Maine). Therefore, the amount of BlueTriton water withdrawal permit represents less than
SITE MONITORING
Independent scientists contracted by BlueTriton regularly monitor the groundwater system, springs, wetlands, surface water bodies, and neighboring groundwater users. To comply with state permits, BlueTriton monitors extraction rates at its boreholes. These monitoring efforts ensure that BlueTriton’s operations do not adversely affect the groundwater, surface water, natural environments, or neighbors. The independent scientists submit annual monitoring data and an annual report to the DEP. This summary document condenses the most recent annual report submission.
RECENT MONITORING RESULTS
The graphs below summarize important measures of the health of the natural groundwater and surface water systems. The first graph (Figure 2) depicts groundwater levels over the past ten years of monitoring at six monitoring wells at the Garden Spring site and one monitoring well at the abutting Mechanic Falls Water District site. The groundwater levels in the Garden Spring Aquifer naturally fluctuate by a few feet, depending on the season and the amount of precipitation. Spring and fall rains typically lead to aquifer recharge, while growth and uptake of water by plants in the summer decrease aquifer water levels, as does the lack of recharge during winter months when the ground is frozen. Inspection of the graphs indicate that fluctuations of precipitation each year correlates with trends of groundwater levels measured at on-site monitoring wells. Historically, the monitoring data show that BlueTriton’s activities have not resulted in adverse impacts on these natural cycles.
Figure 2: Groundwater Monitoring Data
The surface water bodies near Garden Spring respond similarly to these natural cycles, as shown in the second graph (Figure 3). Melting snow and spring rains lead to increased surface water flows. Hotter, drier summer weather, combined with uptake of moisture by plants, reduces available surface water flow. Similar to site groundwater levels, the historical monitoring data show that BlueTriton’s activities at Garden Spring have not resulted in adverse impacts on these natural cycles.
Figure 3: Surface Water Monitoring Data
WETLAND HEALTH
BlueTriton also assesses the health of wetlands on-site along or proximate to Winter Brook through biological monitoring. The independent scientists who conduct these assessments submit biannual reports on wetland health, which are included in the associated annual monitoring reports submitted to DEP.
FUTURE MONITORING
BlueTriton takes its environmental stewardship responsibilities seriously and is committed to sustainable management of natural resources. Monitoring the groundwater, surface water, habitat and precipitation at Garden Spring in Poland will continue for as long as BlueTriton withdraws spring water here.
SUMMARY
Water withdrawals by BlueTriton at Garden Spring in Poland are regulated by the DEP and managed sustainably through proactive monitoring and responsible use. Water withdrawal activity has not resulted in adverse impacts to neighboring groundwater users, groundwater, surface water, wetlands, or other natural resources.
RESOURCES & INFORMATION
BlueTriton is committed to increasing the transparency of our operations and water stewardship practices through our Reading Room.
Questions about Garden Spring or the information contained in this summary can be directed to:
Water withdrawals from Garden Spring are regulated locally and at the state level by:
• Town of Kingfield
• Dept. of Environmental Protection
• Dept. of Health & Human Services
(Maine Drinking Water Program)
*Footnotes:
The percent withdrawal is derived by taking the annual withdrawal divided by the total rainfall within the watershed that year. A watershed is an area of land and its streams and rivers that drain to a single body of water, such as a larger river, a lake or the ocean.
