FROM FIELD TO POLICY - GROUNDWATER AND COASTAL GEOLOGY IN MAINE

Civilization has developed on a landscape defined by geology and geological processes, drawing heavily on geological resources for modern conveniences and the energy to make them work. Modern society will continue to demand more geological resources and expand into areas where geological processes may conflict with the built environment. Geoscientists have an essential role to play in terms of bringing science to the policy discussions of resource and landscape development. Two successes by the Maine Geological Survey (MGS) center on groundwater resources and coastal processes, each involving citizen groups and the legislative process.

Groundwater is an abundant resource in Maine with an annual recharge cycle and long-term trends showing increasing groundwater levels. Nearly half of Maine citizens depend on groundwater for their domestic needs, either through their municipal water system or a private well. To ensure that the resource is used wisely and given adequate protection, the MGS conducted a decades-long project to map distribution and characteristics of the most prolific sand and gravel aquifers. These maps provide a basis for resource development and policies to protect quality. A statewide watershed-based supply and demand analysis provides the foundation to work with stakeholders to avoid conflicts in water use on a regional to local scale. Detailed analysis of individual watersheds provides the science necessary for decision-makers.

The sand beaches of southern Maine form the underpinnings of the tourist economy. Here more than anywhere else in Maine, geological processes have the greatest potential for conflict with the built environment. To facilitate sound decisions regarding development, the MGS mapped the geologic environments of the sandy coastline, and continues to assess shoreline response to rising sea level and increasing storms. Tools like lidar facilitate these assessments. Working with southern Maine communities through the Sea-Level Adaptation Working Group and through each phase of the legislative process, MGS geologists help guide development policies that account for the geological realities.