When the Portland Water District took over the Portland Water Company in 1908, the trustees saw the need to protect Sebago Lake as a public water supply and began conservation efforts to put limits on the use of the Lake's shoreline near the pipeline intake. In 1915, the trustees took the land surrounding Sebago Lake known as "Higgins Lot" under their care as well. The Higgins property extended about one mile along the Lake and comprised about 350 cottage lots. The heirs to the property, after taking their dispute over compensation to the County Commissioner, received a total of $18,000 for the land from the Portland Water District.

The District then reforested the lot with white pines to provide watershed protection for the Lake.