As we tiptoe into 2019, the Boothbay region faces two major problems and neither involves the east side of the harbor.

Our immediate task is the question of what to do with our school system. Our leaders in school and town government are struggling with that issue.

Down the road, more and more experts warn that we face profound challenges due to climate change.

But, there is another side to that equation. Some political and business leaders argue that climate change is a myth.

Are you confused? I looked for answers in the latest government information called the Fourth National Climate Assessment. It is very technical and more than a bit frightening.

I sat down with two local experts and asked if they would translate the assessment’s charts and diagrams into English. What might the future hold for our local harbors?

Both Bob Faunce, the Lincoln County planner, and Nick Record, a senior research scientist at East Boothbay’s Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, began with the same premise: the air and ocean are getting warmer, and sea levels are rising.

Bigelow’s Record explains that we see a gradual sea level rise due to arctic ice melting and heat expansion of the waters.

This gradual ocean’s rise will cause local problems, especially when coupled with high tides and storm surges.

Record said coastal storms are getting more intense. As an example, he cited last summer’s storms that damaged North Carolina and its coast.

Faunce said a direct hit by even a modest hurricane will have a substantial impact for those of us who live on tidal rivers.

“The storm will push a slug of water into the rivers and our towns,” said the planner.

Major storms will also send heavy rains down the hills into our rivers and streams, possibly blowing out culverts and roads, saddling our towns with big repair bills.

For example, Faunce said the Androscoggin River has seen a trio of 100-year storms in the last 10 years.

O.K. If we do get a big storm at high tide pushing lots of water up into our tidal rivers, what else might happen?

In Boothbay Harbor, the sewer district treatment plant is on the shore. They have 20 lift stations, electric pumps that push our sewage into the pipes that feed our waste into the treatment plant. Chris Higgins, the district superintendent, said the lift stations all have electric pumps that work underwater. They will be fine, and district crews have worked to elevate the pump’s electrical controls so they won’t be swamped by high water. The treatment plant is protected from rising sea levels.

The sewer district commissioned a detailed engineering study to pinpoint the possible system vulnerabilities and suggest other modifications. Higgins and his crew are studying this document. It is their blueprint for the future. One thing is for sure. Higgins admits significant changes will be expensive.

In Wiscasset, Faunce said a consultant recommended they build a seawall to protect their wastewater treatment plant.

“It is a town of about 4,000, and not all folks are on their system. It will cost more than $1 million to build a sea wall, and there are no federal or state funds available to help pay for it. It is discouraging,” the planner said.

Both Maine senators, Republican Susan Collins, and Independent Angus King, have been unsuccessful in convincing the federal government to address the effects of climate change.

Our elderly population is at risk due to higher summer temperatures. “They are susceptible to breathing problems, like asthma,” Record said.

Warmer temperatures have invited new insects into our neighborhoods. Ticks are no longer killed off by our harsh winters. As a result, we see an increase in tick-borne ailments, like Lyme disease.
Record says the Gulf of Maine is now too warm for Northern shrimp. We are seeing new visitors, like tropical seahorses caught last summer by local lobstermen and ocean sunfish (Mola Mola) in Boothbay Harbor. We are also witnessing alewives returning to rivers in significant numbers, he said. In 2016, The Boston Globe reported a manatee was spotted off Cape Cod.

It is not all doom and gloom. Although much of the lobster fishery in southern New England has collapsed, ours has remained pretty constant due to the cold Labrador current that flows down our coasts.

Climate studies show trends, but their conclusions are predictions, not facts. Their predictions will happen, but not necessarily in the next 30 to 50 years, said Record.

Something is going on. Experts say the scientific evidence is a wake-up call for us all.

As Washington debates climate change, our local scientists and planners say it would be a mistake to ignore the future needs of our towns.