Daily: April 25, 2014

[Note: This article appeared in the Spring 2014 Newsletter. The full newsletter can be viewed in this pdf document]

By John Andrews

Do any of you remember the old waste water pipe bridge over the Dunstan River that meanders through the marsh? I’m sure you remember its replacement, the Eastern Trail Bridge that carries trail traffic while supporting both that pipe and the Granite State Gas Pipeline. I doesn’t seem possible, but ten years have already passed since the May 19, 2004 groundbreaking ceremony took place a few weeks after the accompanying photo was taken.

We’ve made unbelievable progress since 2004, enough to prove the “Lenny Ruthazer Principle,” named after a wise engineering manager from my past life. Lenny asserted that “You will always overestimate what you can accomplish in a year and very much under estimate what you can accomplish in ten.”

Lenny, I wish you could know how right you were! As we of the ETA consider the future of the Eastern Trail, we will do well to keep hearing his words.

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[Note: This article appeared in the Spring 2014 Newsletter. The full newsletter can be viewed in this pdf document]

By Joe Yuhas

Prior to and on October 13, 2013 (a Friday!) heavy rains covered over half a mile of the Biddeford section of the Eastern Trail with impassable flood waters. Reluctantly, we closed the trail, an unprecedented action. The ET website and ET Facebook page immediately relayed to trail users that we had informed Unitil and Biddeford’s department of public works and city manager that the section of the trail would be closed until further notice.

As a further complication, an event had been scheduled on that section of the trail for the following day. As you might imagine there was concern about how long the trail would be closed. But even more perplexing, was the question of how and why the flooding occurred. The trail had been open for over three years and had not flooded after many periods of prolonged heavy rains. What had changed?

The answer was Castor canadensi, i.e.,beaver, that industrious engineering rodent, the only other mammal besides humans that commonly alters its habitat to make it more suitable. Looking back, earlier in the summer many users of the Biddeford section of the Eastern Trail had noticed beaver activity in the vicinity of the 23¼ mile marker. That area, not far from the Arundel line, is marked by a culvert which passes beneath the trail with a broad open area along the trail. The wetland area there attracts many waterfowl and wading birds; with close observation, minnows can be seen feeding beneath the surface of the water. And a beaver family had evidently taken up residence.

I remember noticing the increasing number of branches and small trees being added to the edges of the impounded water on the opposite side of the trail early in the summer. Although I had not seen the beavers working, it became clear that they were busily constructing a dam. As the summer progressed, I noticed how the water level was rising and the noise of rushing water became more pronounced over the weeks as the height of the beaver dam rose. All very picturesque and appealing, but….

It is not unusual to see the results of the beavers’ work without seeing the beavers themselves, since they generally avoid humans and are nocturnal in their habits. Clearly, as the work progressed the water level on the upstream side of the trail inched its way upward. Apparently the beavers had also blocked the culvert, compounding the problem. By the first week of September the water level had risen nearly four feet and spread over an extended number of acres. The heavy rains did the rest: the force of all the impounded water washed out a large section of the trail.

Fortunately, the story does have a happy ending. First of all the scheduled event — the NF Walk — was relocated to the Thornton Academy section of the trail with little problem. Then Biddeford public works and Unitil responded immediately; in five days, including work over the weekend, the trail was again passable. The two agencies hauled in rock and rebuilt the trail over an extended length. The beaver dam was breached and the culvert cleared. And what about the busy beavers?

The whole family was gently trapped and relocated to a friendlier home.

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Volunteers Needed!

If there’s one thing that’s been constant since I attended my first Eastern Trail Alliance meeting, it’s been the M&Ms. Oh, no I guess that’s not true – there was quite a lapse for a time, now that I think about it. Fortunately, however, volunteers have not lapsed, and a couple of handfuls of these energetic, inspired folks continue to work at making the ET what it is and what it will become. Tom Daley, Maggie Warren, Mac Sexton, Larry Glantz –when the ETA Vol Hall of Fame is called to order, these are but a few of the many who will be in attendance. And I’ll bet, if asked, every one of them would agree that the experience was an enriching one. “We volunteered, we spent time with equally motivated people with common interests, we achieved, we made things happen.”

All that and more.

So, dear readers, may we ask that you take that to heart and ask “not what the ETA can do for you, but what you can do for the ETA.” Most, if not all, non-profit organizations must rely on volunteers, and we’ve got some wonderful opportunities for those who’d like to meet others in southern Maine who like to walk, to bike, who like trails, who like meeting people who like to walk and bike and use trails…and so on:

Trip Leaders: Lead an outing along the Eastern Trail. Pick dates and times that are convenient for you. It’s a great way to meet other supporters of the ET! Lead a walk, bike ride, cross-country ski, snow shoe or bird/wildlife exploration along either on-road or off-road sections from South Portland to Kittery. Full moon walks have become favorite outings, departing from Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, and the Pine Point Road parking lot at the Scarborough Marsh. I’ve always wondered how a new moon walk would go…

Exhibit Hosts: ETA is invited to host a table and tell our story at countless local events, from universities to businesses to health fairs, and many more. ETA has a small group of experienced volunteers, but still we are unable to respond to many such requests and opportunities. To learn more about how easy and how much FUN this can be, volunteer to help out at one of ETA’s planned exhibits .

Volunteer Coordinator: All new volunteers who step in to help ETA, need a “veteran” to stay in touch with them, to provide information about how ETA tries to set and accomplish its goals, to connect them with trustees, fellow volunteers or office staff. Born to Sell? We have a very popular product – it’s about 21 miles long today, and will be about 60 miles long when complete! — that we’d like you to sell to local businesses and foundations or to seek out sponsors for the Eastern Trail and for the Maine Lighthouse Ride. We’ll provide printed material, facts and the how’s and why’s and when’s of the ET’s history, its future, and how partnering with the ETA can be a winner for all involved.

For more information, call Carole Brush at the ETA office in Biddeford at 207-284-9260, or send e – mail to ETA@EasternTrail.Org. We’d love to have your help!

President Bob Hamblen