Kennebunk River Watershed

Brimstone Pond lies north of Bimstone Road. The pond is 6.6 acres in area and is bordered by open fields, forest, and marsh.

Davis Pond is 4 acres in size and is mostly marsh during the dry season. A thin strip of forest buffer stands between the pond and Limerick Road to the west. The southern shore is bordered completely by open fields with one home.

Duck Brook runs out of a forested area west of I-95 between the Dutch Elms Golf Course and the Mildred L Day Middle School. It flows past a large farm before crossing under the highway, and runs for approximately 1.25 miles through forest before joining the Kennebunk River.

Goff Mill Brook runs for approximately 7 miles along the extent of Arundel’s eastern border with Kennebunkport, paralleling the Boston & Maine Rail Line until the tracks cross Log Cabin Road and turn west. There the brook continues south and encounters little development as it passes through a half mile stretch of forest. It emerges in the backyards of several residences along Sinnott Road, passes a 100+ unit subdivision, and converges with the Kennebunk River near the Cape Arundel Golf Course.

The Arundel Swamp sits between Sinnott Road and River Road. It is an undeveloped area approximately .5 square miles in size. It feeds a small brook that runs south to the Kennebunk River.

The Kennebunk River forms Arundel’s western boundary with the town of Kennebunk. It enters from Lyman and runs for approximately 12 miles before leaving Arundel on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. The banks of the Kennebunk River are bordered by farms and open fields from the Lyman border to I-95. From the interstate the river runs through forest and marsh, past many homes, and several subdivisions.

To see the locations of these resources in Google Earth follow this link.

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The town contains a land area of 15,450 acres, or slightly over 24 square miles. Compared to other municipalities in York County, this is a relatively small geographic area. The town contains one great pond, with a surface area of 15 acres.

Most of Arundel is wooded. West of the Maine Turnpike, a higher percentage of the land is in open fields, as this is where the soils better suited for agriculture are found. The flat nature of the land combined with the type of soils typically found in the town result in a prevalence of wetland areas throughout the town.

With all the forest land and the remaining farms, the vast majority of Arundel is undeveloped open space. However as the changes which have occurred over the past twenty years indicate, we are not assured of the continued existence of this open space. Arundel’s few remaining working farms face increasing economic pressure. With little of the forest land in long term management, its future existence can be questioned. There are currently several parcels of land that will remain permanent open space.

Population increase during the 1990s was the largest Arundel has ever experienced, gaining 902 residents. Arundel mostly plays the role of a bedroom community providing commuters to jobs in Biddeford, the Kennebunks and Portland. In 1990, only 181 Arundel residents (13%) worked in Arundel.

If population grows at a projected rate, Arundel’s population density of 150 people per square mile will increase to 186 by 2010 and 224 by 2020. Forty percent of the parcels in the town are two acres or less in area. The high density residential areas, or other areas of smaller lots, are located mostly in subdivisions created before 1977, along Route One or in subdivisions that allow smaller lots in exchange for the permanent protection of undeveloped open space.

to learn more see The Arundel Comprehensive Plan

Arundel occupies an area along the Kennebunk River that was known as the Indian Planting Ground. Prior to 1680, it is believed the Native Americans, most likely Micmacs, used this as their summer residence.

In the region that eventually became Arundel, early livelihoods were gained from fishing, farming, and building masts for ships. There is evidence today that some of the regions earliest sawmills and gristmills were located in Arundel.

From the region of Walkers Lane, where Route One now crosses the Kennebunk River, south to the area where Goff Mill Brook crosses River Road, near the Cape Arundel Golf Course, there were at least five mills and a brickyard. Most of the mills were saw mills, but one became a fulling mill where thread was made from cotton and the Goff’s Brook Mill became a gristmill.

As would be expected, fishing was a prominent livelihood of these early residents. Boat building was a major trade as well. Some very large boats came from the boat yard along the river. Locks were set in place at various points, the intent being to allow construction of larger ships at the boat yards. These early industries thrived along the Kennebunk River well into the 1800’s and early 1900’s.

The Indian Wars, 1680 to 1720, caused evacuation of the town. After the hostilities ended, the town was reestablished with the new name Arundel. The community built a garrison on the Saco Road to further protect them from raids. As the town became more secure, settlement extended upstream along the river.

Incorporated as North Kennebunkport on Apri1 1, 1915, the town changed its name to Arundel on September 9,1957.

Between 1990 and 2000 population in Arundel grew by 38%.