Thanks to a partnership between the Portland Water District and the town of Windham, local residents have a new spot for hiking, cross-country skiing, bicycling and nature exploration: Chaffin Pond Preserve.

Council Chair Robert Muir and Boy Scout Nathan Gardner cut the ribbon Wednesday afternoon to officially open the 123-acre preserve to the public. Those present for the grand opening were taken on a guided walk down pond trails.

Gardner, a junior at Windham High School, was given the honor of helping to cut the ribbon for building an informational kiosk at the pond for his Eagle Scout project.

“It’s a nice little hike around,” Gardner said. “You’d never know Route 302 was right there because it’s so quiet.”

Boggy fens, marshes and swamps encompass the “kettle-hole” pond and new trails created by the Maine Conservation Corps this October create a two-mile loop around the pond.

The pond was once a public water source for nearby residents. But in 1998, MTBE contamination from a nearby gas station forced the water district to discontinue public water wells at the pond. Since then, it has been used by the district, St. Joseph’s College and the University of Southern Maine for environmental education.

The pond is a “relic of glacial history,” says Lynne Richard, environmental education coordinator for Portland Water, and a prime spot to learn about water quality and certain animal and plant habitats. Though it sits near one of the largest commercial district in the Lakes Region, the natural habitat is relatively undisturbed.

Richard hopes it will continue to be an educational resource and to in the future install “learning stations” throughout the trail to act as a self-guided educational experience.

No motorized vehicles will be allow on the property, that includes ATVs and snowmobiles, nor will hunting be allowed, Richard said.

Opening the land up to public use has become a “compromise” that Portland Water has been using both in favor of the public and preservation of water quality, said Paul Hunt, environmental manager for the District. The idea is that the people walking the trails will become a second set of “eyes and ears” for the District to ensure protection of reservoirs. The District recently opened 1,700 acres in Standish around the Sebago Lake Watershed to hunting, fishing and hiking and other recreation.

“This is a perfect way to keep it preserved, keep it protected in case it is needed in the future while also making use of the pond,” Hunt said.

Windham Rec. Director Brian Ross hopes residents will gradually discover Chaffin Pond.

“We’re glad to have it open so people can use it,” he said.