General Rules and Regulations of the Watershed
Water and other activities are strictly prohibited!
The above actives are NOT allowed on any of the Districts’ public water supply reservoirs including:
- BOULTER POND
- MIDDLE POND
- FOLLY POND
- BELL MARSH RESERVOIR (KITTERY’S supply)
- CHASE’S POND & WELCH’S POND (YORK’S supply).
Foot travel only, within 250’ of the normal high water mark of any of the above listed reservoirs, unless you are on an approved trail.
There is a “carry in, carry out” policy, no littering.
All dogs must be on a leash and the person responsible for the dog must carry a waste removal bag at all times!!!
ATV Permit
The Watershed ATV Permit is available and permits are only issued to residents of the towns that are served by the Kittery and York Water districts including Kittery, Kittery Point, Eliot, York and Cape Neddick:
ONLINE WATERSHED APPLICATION
Printable Watershed ATV Permit Application
Click here to load the 2024 Watershed Brochure
February 3, 2023
Cooperation on the Trails
TO: YWD / KWD Watershed ATV Permit Holders & General Public
Subject: Combined Efforts on Trail Maintenance
With the recent snow and ice storm that moved through the area, the damage was felt and seen throughout both York and Kittery’s Watershed. Heavy winds whipped through forests that never had a chance to shed the snow from their branches. While damage could certainly have been worse, Mother Nature took a toll on many of the Watershed Trails. The number of downed trees made travel difficult, with many areas temporarily impassable, other than on foot. York Water District took the lead in getting their crews into the woods to begin clearing damage and reopening the trails to all travel. Kittery Water District soon followed suit, after receiving the word from Gary Stevens that the trails needed attention. This type of communication and teamwork between the 2 districts is common practice, and not at all surprising. It is something that we can all be proud of and should not take for granted.
Something that did surprise me, or rather truly impressed me, was the actions of members of the York Fish and Game Club. Without receiving notification or requests for assistance from either Water District, several members took it upon themselves to jump on their 4-wheelers, armed with chainsaws, and took to the trails. Kent Winters, Bobby Crowell, John Lewis and Douglas Richard were all “caught” volunteering by Robbie Henson while doing a watershed patrol. The group were slowly making their way from blowdown to blowdown, cutting and clearing as they went. Alan Covel was spotted working as well, and we have good reason to believe that several other permits holders were generously volunteering. Their hard work and kind efforts saved the Crews from the Kittery and York Water Districts several miles of travel and hours of work. These gentlemen volunteered their time and their own equipment to reopen trails on land that they clearly respect and appreciate having open to public use.
The York Water District and the Kittery Water District greatly appreciate the efforts put forth by this group of riders. These are exactly the type of people that we hope to see enjoying the watershed. The cooperation that they displayed went a long way in opening up trails after a storm and goes a long way in keeping the trails open to the public in the future.
January 26, 2023
To: YWD/KWD Watershed ATV Permit Holders
Subject: Reckless ATV Operation on Water District Property
The York and Kittery Water Districts have identified an increase in dangerous and reckless operation of ATVs on our watershed properties.
Documented activities observed recently:
- Fishtailing
- Off Trail Riding
- Spinning/Donuts
- Operating Under the Influence
- Speeding, and more
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In addition to the safety risk, damage to management roads, trails, and landings create additional soil erosion, water quality deterioration, and financial burden for both Districts.
If these actions continue, the Districts will be forced to consider enforcement action including, but not limited to ATV permit suspension, size/power restrictions, night or seasonal closures, and trail closure.
Use of the YWD/KWD watershed trails is permitted for the enjoyment of all, and responsible use is critical to keep this area open now and into the future. If you see something, say something.
More information, including our watershed rules of use can be found here: Watershed | York Water District
Questions may be submitted by reply to this email, or by calling the Resource Protection Office at (207) 363-2265.
