Team Logs

Gulf of Maine Expedition Southern Maine Journals
May 29, 2002

Natalie's notes from Southern Maine
Why are we doing this?
The York River
Cape Neddick
Eiders, Gulls, and Lunch

Dan's notes from Southern Maine
Source of Pressure on Maine Islands
Maine Coastal Development

Natalie's notes from Southern Maine

Why are we doing this?

"What lessons can be applied to Nova Scotia?" That was one of the questions asked of Dan Earle and Sue Hutchins, both of Yarmouth, as they sat on the shore of Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor and talked with a CBC correspondent via cell phone. Dan, Sue, Rich MacDonald from Lake Placid, New York, and myself, from Bar Harbor, Maine, had just taken two weeks to sea kayak to Boston Harbor. Our journey started at the southwest tip of the Gulf of Maine in Provincetown, on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Boston Harbor was only one of many landfalls we will make on this five-month journey along the entire shore of the Gulf of Maine.

I write these words on a Palm Pilot in my tent on a cobble beach on an island in southern Maine. We left Massachusetts about a week ago, took only a couple days to paddle along New Hampshire, and now Maine should take almost two months. But the journey does not stop at the Canadian border. We will leave the states behind and take about one month to work our way up the shores of New Brunswick well into the Bay of Fundy, then turn sharply to the southwest and take a final month to follow the shore of Nova Scotia back out the Bay. On September 28th, 2002, our journey will come to an end at the northeastern tip of the Gulf of Maine, which also happens to be Nova Scotia's southwestern tip, Cape Sable Island.

By paddling the entire rim of the Gulf, we hope to raise awareness about this vast international watershed and to promote safety and stewardship on the water. Travelling slowly, only as far and as fast as our arms can take us, we hope to gain a sense of the Gulf that cannot be captured by other modes of travel.

Why the Gulf of Maine?

The Gulf of Maine is an ecosystem well-worth noting. It is one of the world's most productive fishing grounds, thanks in large part to oceanographic currents and the lay of the land beneath the sea. Landward, the Gulf spans Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Seaward, the waters of the Gulf of Maine are enclosed by a thick string of shallow shoals: Georges Bank to the south and Browns Bank to the east. These banks are submerged by less than 200 feet of water and much less in many areas. The only deep-water link between the Gulf of Maine and the wide open Atlantic is the Northeast Channel, which slices through both Georges and Browns Banks. Seaward from the banks, the Continental Shelf drops dramatically into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, effectively partitioning the Gulf and the Atlantic into entirely different seas with their own sets of currents and conditions.

The Gulf of Maine is kept cold by the Labrador Current, bringing artic waters down into the Canadian Maritimes. The Labrador Current joins the Scotia Current, which travels southwest along Nova Scotia and floods into the Gulf of Maine around Cape Sable Island. Within the Gulf, the current flows in a counterclockwise gyre. The Gulf of Maine never receives any warm water influx from the Gulf Stream – in this case "Gulf" refers to Mexico – as this shoots into the Atlantic along Georges Bank’s south flank. Meanwhile, oceanographers are discovering that there are many sub-currents that contribute to the mix as well. It takes about seven months for water to travel the currents along the entire counterclockwise gyre within the Gulf of Maine.

Along the way, this cold Arctic water will be vertically mixed by upwellings from the bottom, and the hundreds of millions of gallons that flow into the Gulf from the Kennebec, the Penobscot, the Saint John, and other rivers also add the mix. It is this combination of mixing and water temperature flowing above shallow banks that makes for such productive habitat. The distribution of species are affected by these currents as larvae, eggs, fish, plankton, and other free floating organisms can be carried for weeks before settling. The Gulf of Maine Expedition is following the inshore route in a clockwise fashion, going against the prevailing ocean currents described above, but going with the prevailing southwesterly summer winds. We have been at it for almost a month and in that time have gained a clear sense of the shoreline of the southern Gulf of Maine.

Access and wealth in the southern Gulf

Our first week was along Cape Cod Bay where the theme of inaccessible shoreline began to present itself at the outset of the journey. Wide sand flats, barrier beaches, dunes, and salt marshes punctuated the shoreline, which was accessible for camping only thanks to prior arrangements and exceptions made specifically for the Gulf of Maine Expedition – we are tremendously grateful to all those who made our stay possible. In this respect, Cape Cod Bay is unlike the coast of Maine or Nova Scotia, where either a network of trails or traditional values allows for camping on the shore.

At Scusset Beach, we crossed the line from Cape Cod Bay to the South Shore of Massachusetts. We left the immense sand flats of Cape Cod Bay and moved along a shore with steeper eroding cliffs. The houses grew in size and stature and the shore became a study in Coastal erosion. As we journeyed north along Manomet, Plymouth, Duxbury, Brant Rock, Marshfield, and on north towards Boston Harbor, there were very few stretches of shoreline left undeveloped. Mansions of all shape, size, and even color are built atop cliffs that below have a variety of retaining capability built in, ranging from rocks, to concrete walls, to nets, to houses on pilings, to simple wooden boards, to trees and bushes planted to hold the sandy soil in place.

The eroding cliffs diminish in numbers north of Boston Harbor where the rocky shore of the Canadian Shield sprouts its hard head. But mansions continue to be the dominant structures along both the beach and atop the rocky bedrock.

Though many of the mansions are indeed quite gorgeous, the drama in all of this continues to be the lack of public access to the shore.

One thing that has particularly struck me so far is the level of wealth invested in the southern Gulf of Maine coast. The shoreline from Provincetown to the Kennebunkport region, from where I write, is almost exclusively controlled by the wealthy. The dispersed protected lands, none longer than a few miles of coastline, include Cape Cod National Seashore, Sandy Neck (outside of Barnstable), Boston Harbor Islands National Park, Plum Island, and Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Each of these represent gorgeous examples of protected, and in some cases restored, coast. However, they are not all necessarily open and accessible to the general public. On Plum Island, at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge, for example, landing during the bird breeding season is an offense punishable by Federal law. It certainly makes good sense to prevent access to many areas in order to protect the wildlife. But when the rest of the land is private, it leaves very few lands open to the public.

In the southern third of the Gulf of Maine, the vast majority of the shore is accessible only to the wealthy, and the wealthy maintain rights to the low-tide line. From our very subjective assessment, made from the cockpits of our sea kayaks, the percentage of shorefront property that is privately owned (excluding protected lands and urban areas) must easily fall somewhere in between 60 and 80%, depending on the location.

Development and water quality

Behind all that wealth are communities that are struggling with growth and development. Community organizers involved in watershed protection in the Cape Neddick region of southern Maine typified what seems to be happening all over the southern Gulf.

The Cape Neddick River's clam flats have been closed since 1986, based on water samples taken by Maine Department of Marine Resources biologists at three different locations on the River. The all-volunteer Cape Neddick River Association (CNRA) is concerned that high levels of fecal coliform may be polluting the estuary, not only making it dangerous to eat shellfish but also making it unsafe to swim. Linda Scotland, who generously put us up for camping in her yard, and 20 or so neighbors, have come together to create the Association to address issues of water quality in their small watershed. The issue is complicated by an outfall pipe that drains all the sewage from the Town of York into the Cape Neddick River mouth, while the residents along the River are all have septic systems.

Development in the region continues to grow quite rapidly. By one account, the York region has tripled in 10 years. Although Boston is up to an hour and a half from here, the greater York region is attracting more and more commuters, and Cape Neddick is at the northern end of York.

The issues faced by Cape Neddick in southern Maine are echoed in many of the communities that we have already visited in this first month of the Gulf of Maine Expedition. Small coastal towns are dealing with water quality issues brought on by growing development within the watershed. The monitoring of these issues seems to lie in the hands of private citizens who notice that something is amiss. In the case of Linda Scotland, she noticed things smelled foul around the river and wanted to find out what it was.

Lessons for Nova Scotia

As I sit here on this island just a few days' paddle north of York, I think back to the question posed by the CBC radio reporter. "What lessons can be applied to Nova Scotia?" A few things ring true as we journey up the Gulf of Maine. Coastal development is not about to slow down, and although the immediate shoreline appears clean (with wealth has come clean shorelines, tidy and attractive yards, and little debris in the water), water quality issues cannot always be seen from the surface. The utopia created by the wealthy who can afford to own property on the coast comes at a price. That price is public access.

In the case of the Gulf of Maine Expedition, without having received special permission from numerous state agencies, non-profits, and private citizens to camp on normally closed, private, or day-use-only areas, we simply could not have traveled through the southern third of this vast watershed. I suspect this will change in the weeks to come as we enter the island region of Maine, where our Maine Island Trail Association memberships grant us access to 100 or so sites in exchange for our commitment to practice, teach, and participate in coastal stewardship.

The York River

Although the York River is tidal for only seven miles, the marshes surrounding it comprise one of the largest coastal wetlands in southern Maine.

The York River Association is an entirely voluntary organization that has focused on conservation and balanced use of the York watershed. We learned about this association from Carol Donnelly, a landowner who is active in local conservation issues. We met Carol via Dick Balkite, both local landowners who provided permission for us to land and camp on Western Point, on the southern, seaward edge of the York River. The boulder-strewn beach offered a tricky low-tide landing but a rocky symbol of our arrival in Maine.

The region surrounding Western Point is made up of privately-owned parcels of land that cannot be further developed without the consent of all the neighbors. Carol Donnelly is one of those neighbors. As she tells us about the York River Association, I am astounded that this group of volunteers could have accomplished so much since their founding in 1995. They have partnered with such diverse groups as the Conservation Law Foundation, University of New Hampshire, and Maine Department of Transportation, on a number of projects to help protect and restore the York River, and to inform inhabitants and visiting boaters about the River's notable history and ecology.

As we catch a ride into town this morning with Nancy Schmid, who has graciously volunteered to help out, I look to the River and see a windy marsh with lots of open space mixed into numerous pockets of development. York is apparently growing quite quickly. By one account, the population has tripled in size in ten years. And many of the newcomers want all the amenities of a big city. This raises a multitude of management issues that the town and surrounding communities must tackle, and it is not so simple.

The day before our arrival, voters rejected everything on the town budget. We did not get the chance to hear the details, but apparently not everyone wants to see such rapid change in the community. Many are interested in protecting the small town atmosphere of York and its open space.

Meanwhile, the next generation in York seems off to a good start. Our journey into the classroom at Coastal Ridge Elementary school this morning revealed a passel of second graders who knew the names of dozens of birds that live within the Gulf of Maine. They reported their favorite parts about living near the River and the sea, such as seeing all the animals, getting to swim and boat, how beautiful everything is, and, perhaps the most unique, being able to deliver dragonfly larvae back to the fresh water.

Cape Neddick

We left Cape Neddick River midday today on a high tide in thick fog. As we paddled under the Shore Road Bridge and out towards the open water, I peered to the southern bank of the harbor in search of the green can. "On this side of the can," Linda Scotland, our local contact and most generous hostess, had explained, "you'll see a bit of a whirlpool." That swirling water is apparently where the town of York's sewer outfall pipe flushes into the sea. “The irony,” Linda explained, “is that everyone in the immediate vicinity is on a septic system, yet they still contend with the sewage from the rest of the town.”

The Cape Neddick River's clam-flats have been closed since 1986 based on water samples taken by Maine Department of Marine Resources biologists at three different locations on the Cape Neddick River. The Cape Neddick River Association (CNRA) is concerned that high levels of fecal coliform may be polluting the estuary, not only making it dangerous to eat shellfish, but also making it unsafe to swim. Linda Scotland and 20 or so neighbors have come together to create the Association which is trying to address issues of water quality in this small watershed.

Development in the region continues to grow quite rapidly. Although Boston is up to an hour and a half from here, the greater York region is attracting more and more commuters . . . and Cape Neddick is at the northern end of York.

The issues faced by Cape Neddick in southern Maine are echoed in many of the communities that we have already visited in this first month of the Gulf of Maine Expedition. Small coastal towns are dealing with water quality issues brought on by growing development within the watershed. The monitoring of these issues seems to lie in the hands of private citizens who notice that something is amiss and want to do something about it.

Eiders, Gulls, and Lunch

My reading is interrupted by an alarming low series of grumbles. I recognize the Common Eiders’ voice – a birding friend once compared the sound to grumpy old men in the throws of conversation. Every now and again, like now, their voices seem to tune up a notch and accelerate. I look up from my book and reach for the binoculars. Just below me, on the water, I notice three tightly packed Eiders, two brown females and one black and white male. They have formed a perfect equilateral triangle which is moving laterally on the surface of the water. As I watch them intently, the two females rear up on their hind legs, both their torsos lifting out of the water in unison. Their necks extend up to the sky and their squawks intensify. As they have lifted up, I can see below four Eider chicks corralled in between the three adults. And above, the source of the Eider's alarm circles patiently: a Great Black-backed Gull, the largest and most predatory member of the gull family.

Suddenly, the Gull swoops down towards the Eiders and again, two of the three adults rear up and snap in the air, attempting to ward off the Gull who simply flaps out of wingshot and comes back for another try. Great Black-back Gulls are notorious for feeding on Eider chicks, or on any other chicks for that matter, even their own species. Given the chance, Herring Gulls, crows, eagles, and Osprey all prey on unprotected chicks and eggs. Eiders, terns, and cormorants are all common prey, but Eiders are the only ones who raft up on the water almost immediately after hatching. They are still quite young and defenseless at this time and rely heavily on the adults protection.

I watch this natural drama unfold for ten minutes before the Gull loses patience and flies off for good. The Eiders maintain their triangular formation and proceed across the channel to another island where dozens more swim and raft. There I lose track of the three adults and four chicks as they quickly assimilate into the group. This time, they have escaped but it is not likely all four of those chicks will make it to adulthood, given the number of predators in their territory.

A few notes on minimizing boaters impact on eiders:
1. Nesting Eiders spook very easily at the approach of humans. Flushing the adults off the nest exposes the eggs and young to both predation and temperature extremes. Use binoculars to identify nesting islands before you approach and be aware that it is illegal to land on nesting islands during breeding season.

2. Keep an eye out for rafts of swimming Eiders. They are easy to spot: a few brown females herd rafts of multiple chicks. A black and white male may join the group too, but the females are in charge of the raft. Do whatever you can to avoid separating the raft as the unprotected lone chick is exactly what the predator seeks. Veer out of the way.

Dan's notes from Southern Maine

Source of Pressure on Maine Islands

We are now in Maine having just finished paddling the coasts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Looking back on these sections from the point of view of a coastal paddler, these states offer great opportunity for day-use and practically none for overnight, weekend, or extended trips. While there is access for launching, we have found very few reliable, publicly accessible spots where one may camp. All of our stops have been arranged on private properties or by special permission at public sites.

The dense coastal population of Massachusetts and New Hampshire supports a large number of recreational paddlers. Many would like to take advantage of extended trips in their home territory. However, unless they own coastal property or have friends that do, they will find legal accessibility to camping spots almost impossible. Where do these paddlers head for tripping? We guess that a prime destination is Maine.

While this may be seen as good for Maine tourism, it concentrates a large number of paddlers into a short-seasoned and fragile coastal island environment. Maine can certainly absorb a reasonable number of guests but it would be a much better strategy to spread the use along a greater stretch of coastline. To do so requires a combination of change in public lands policy and use of private entrepreneurship. State parks, municipalities, and federal agencies with coastal access could provide specially zoned and controlled seaside campsites. Private campgrounds could set aside areas with water access by paddling groups. B&B's, motels, and coastal lodges might offer places to stay.

It is time now to start such planning for the future. We may envision a Gulf of Maine water trail along the very path we are now paddling – a trail that extends from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, offering well spaced public access for extended trips in any section of coast. This would not only reduce the pressure on Maine, but extend use, appreciation, and economic benefit of the coastal resource to all the bounding states and provinces of the Gulf of Maine.

Maine Coastal Development

In the big picture, the coast of Maine we have paddled through June 19th can be broken into two sections: the first section, from the New Hampshire border to Kennebunkport, is dominated by beaches separated by rocky headlands. The second section, From Kennebunkport to Penobscot Bay, the coast is dominated by northward trending ridges and bays reaching far inland; islands and small channels abound.

The nature of the difference in coastal development between the two sections is noteworthy. Along the beaches portion we found much the same type of dense residential and commercial coastal strip development we had experienced in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It can be reasonably concluded that any beach area not under protected status will be developed to its maximum density and demand for erosion control will be high.

Headlands in this region were generally occupied by larger homes at a lower density of placement. Natural rock cliff was often supplemented by walls, more for the provision of lawns and landscaping than for erosion control. Often there were forested areas surrounding the structures.

As we reached passed through the Kennebunkport to Penobscot Bay, section, the area of the ridge and bay coastline, the character of the development changed. The long ridges, deeply cut bays, and many islands provide a very long coastal edge. Some coast has full water access at all tides but many areas border on sand or mud flats at lower tide cycles. Direct access to the water is often limited by the height of the cliffs on the edge. The density of development is, for the most part, lower with greater spacing between houses and the size of homes is more varied. There are many cottages of older vintage and some sites are occupied by lobstermen or other fishery commerce. There is a greater mix of the recreational and the working waterfront in this section of the coast.

We are interested in getting a better insight into why we have seen this change in patterns of development. Some of our thoughts are that Maine 1) is further from the centers of population found along the Massachusetts and New Hampshire coasts and so has not yet felt the same pressure to develop at as high a density; 2) has more lands that are held by landowners of several generations who are not anxious to subdivide the family properties; 3) land trusts and conservation easement purchases are keeping lands off of the market; 4) land purchases are made in larger tracts to maintain a buffer between neighbors; and 5) townships are putting in requirements for water and waste treatment that require larger properties.

This is a topic that demands more investigation if we wish to maintain a diverse coastal edge ecology, provide for a mix of human uses, allow public land and water access, and have a coastal scene not fully dominated by housing and commercial development.