New watershed districts for local dams elect officers, set first budget hearing
Jan. 5 public budget hearing set for Toddy Pond and Alamoosook dams
Dec. 29, 2025
By Tricia Thomas
The dam at Toddy Pond, which will be the responsibility of a newly formed watershed district representing four towns. File photo.
After a flurry of activity this year that led to four towns banding together to form a watershed district that will control the Toddy Pond dam, as well as a separate one for Alamoosook Lake, the work now begins on budgets for the structures that affect water levels for hundreds of shorefront properties.
The trustees of the newly formed Toddy Pond Watershed Management District and Alamoosook Lake Watershed Management District held preliminary organizational meetings on Dec. 3 to elect officers and begin preparation for public hearings on their 2026-2027 budgets.
The groups’ first budget hearing will be held on Jan. 5 at 6:30 pm at the Orland Community Center. The meeting is open to the public.
The districts, which are quasi-municipal corporations enabled by the Maine Legislature and approved by the voters of Blue Hill, Orland, Penobscot and Surry on Nov. 4, are charged with receiving ownership of the dams and maintaining water levels of the two water bodies.
Trustees of the Toddy Pond District, named by their respective town select boards include George MacLeod and Richard Crampton of Orland; Lee Bingham of Surry; Stephen Rappaport of Blue Hill; and Jonathan Albrecht of Penobscot.
Additional Toddy district trustees elected by lakefront property owners include Marc Restuccia, Kevin Turcotte, Ed Dailide, and Jeff Hagen. Restuccia was elected as president, Albrecht as treasurer, and Hagen as secretary.
Trustees of the Lake Alamoosook District, named by Orland’s select board, include John Gray, Brian Sale, and George Schelling. Lake District trustees elected by the lakefront property owners include Mary Giard and Dave Milan. Schelling was elected as president, Sale as treasurer, and Giard as secretary.
Both districts will hold their future meetings at the Orland Town Office, and will be open to the public.
