Concerns are afoot in Whiting about the future of its fire suppression system that exists at the Mill Pond dam, with residents and property owners in Whiting, Trescott and parts of Edmunds potentially affected if the dam were to be altered or removed as part of a proposed project undertaken by Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF) and Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) to restore the fisheries in the region.
      The almost 200‑year‑old Mill Pond, located just off Route 1 at Whiting corner, is the subject of a request for proposals for an engineering study to be commissioned by DSF, the owner of the pond property since the spring of 2016. DSF fisheries specialist Kyle Winslow and MCHT Project Manager Jacob van de Sande hosted a two‑hour meeting on November 17 in Whiting to hear three different engineering firms explain their approach to the request for proposals for a fish passage feasibility study for three dams on the Orange River in Whiting.
     The three dams are the approximately 15-foot-high Mill Pond dam, the much lower Orange River flowage dam owned by the state and the Rocky Lake outlet dam also owned by the state. All three dams are involved in the study because of the role that the Mill Pond dam plays in preventing fish from moving up to the next two dams. Van de Sande explained that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife cannot work to restore fisheries on those two sites without the Mill Pond fisheries issue first being resolved. River herring and alewives would be the fish targeted with fishway passages, with both men estimating significant benefits to the local ecosystem as well as the overall fisheries in Cobscook Bay. Van de Sande said, "The key to restoring the groundfisheries is restoring the river herring." Using other restoration results, he predicted the juvenile fish would be in the millions before too long.
     The three engineering firms that responded to the RFP are: Stantec, represented by Michael Chelminski; Inter‑Fluve, represented by Mike Burke; and Wright‑Pierce, represented by Joseph McLean. DSF plans to select one of the engineering firms by the week of November 21. The scope of the work, as described by the three engineering representatives, will look at the Mill Pond dam and determine through various means its structural health with three scenarios explored with associated costs: dam demolition; partial dam demolition with fishway; dam preservation with fishway.
However, the dam and the fish passage are only half of the equation. The second part is to find alternatives to the fire suppression system currently used by Whiting if the dam were to be altered or demolished.
     "Multiple hundreds of properties would be affected" if the Mill Pond were to be altered and lost capacity, says Craig Smith, who served as Whiting fire chief for 33 years and retired in 2015. He explains that the Mill Pond allows for property owners in Whiting, Trescott and a portion of Edmunds to benefit from lower property insurance rates.
     At the public informational meeting, Whiting select board member Mary Alice Look told those gathered that she had called her insurance company to inquire on rates. If Whiting were to lose its rating, that portion of her property insurance dedicated to fire loss would jump from $500 to $1,000 per year.
     About 15 years ago the town worked to improve its fire rating. While the process took two years of studies and proof that the 35-million-gallon Mill Pond could provide a non‑stop 250 gallons per minute for three hours, it was successful. Trescott's fire rating for insurance purposes is the lowest of the unorganized territories, Smith notes, and Edmunds isn't far behind, because of a cooperative relationship with the Lubec Volunteer Fire Department. "We wouldn't have gotten that rating without access to the pond," he says. If a water source is beyond five miles from a station, the rate increases, he explained. Indian Lake is beyond the five-mile line from the fire station, which is right across the highway from the Mill Pond. "There is no other clean water source without spending major bucks." He adds that in his opinion tanks would not work well. The Whiting Volunteer Fire Department averages 15 to 18 calls a year, which includes household, automobile and other types of fires.
     Winslow, van de Sande and the three engineers stressed that public meetings would be held at all steps along the way during the feasibility study duration of December through March, to any subsequent decisions made after about what path to pursue, including agency permitting involved with dams and fishways that requires public input.
     "The fire suppression system is a very important piece of what's going on," said Stantec's Chelminski. "The really complicated factor [in the feasibility study and planning process] isn't the fish passage. The big deal is the fire suppression water supply."
      In addition to the fire suppression system and insurance rates, other concerns raised by those present included the cultural loss if the dam were to be removed. Bob Bell of Edmunds described the skating parties that he, family members and others enjoyed on the pond. At the end of the meeting, Mary Alice Look presented bullet points of the dam's importance that have been discussed by the select board at their meetings, including: the dam qualifies for listing on the National Register of Historic Places; it is the center of the village and is widely recognized as an attraction and place maker; it is the certified water source for fire suppression; and it is able to provide water in a 100‑year drought.
Hearing held on proposed ordinance
      A petition with 153 signatures was turned into the Whiting Board of Selectmen that requests that the board "adopt this resolution directing the town to exercise its home rule authority to protect the waters and the water levels of the Whiting Mill Pond... requiring that board of selectmen prepare or cause to prepare a water level ordinance."
     At a special meeting of the selectmen on Tuesday, November 22, a public hearing was held regarding establishing the proposed water level and minimum flow ordinance for the Mill Pond. During the meeting, residents and others asked questions concerning "home rule" and consistency with the town's comprehensive plan as well as implementation of the ordinance, if approved.
     Bernie Vinzani spoke of his recollections of the forest fire in the 1980s and the importance of the availability of water from the Mill Pond in eventually controlling that fire. Edwin Jessiman spoke about his first impressions of the landmark when he and his family first moved to Whiting and his admiration for the early settlers. He said, "The Mill Pond is a symbol of something greater than it really is, and if you take away symbols, you take away identity." He added, "If the dam is gone, the identity of the people is gone."
     Robin McPhail noted the aesthetic and historical value of the dam and that it is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. It was also mentioned that there is a new type of fishway that quickly moves fish along and is easy to install, with residents wondering why that would not be a good solution to the issue.
     Earlier in the day, the selectmen had received a petition with 29 signatures from Trescott residents in support of Whiting's plan for establishing a water level at the site.
     Both Senator Joyce Maker and Rep. Will Tuell said the issue is a local one, and there should be a local decision on it. Selectmen Ken Davis from East Machias noted that their fire department and Whiting have a mutual aid agreement and that the water source at the Mill Pond affects "other towns as well."
     There will be a special town meeting to vote on the proposed ordinance on Monday, December 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Whiting Community Center.