The land surrounding a popular Woodstock roadside spring was purchased by a local man Dec. 15, saving it from an uncertain future.

Braydon Rice, of Woodstock, paid $70,000 to ensure the spring remains undeveloped.

He said the community cares deeply about the spring beside Route 26 and he wanted to protect the land from any drilling that could have compromised it. He plans to put building restrictions on the deed as well as ground penetration limits to further protect the parcel should it ever change hands.

Rice can see the roadside spring from the home where he has lived his entire life. His father, Bernie Rice, directed the Maine School Administrative District 44 Transportation Department for many years and has since died. His mother is Gloria Crockett Rice.

In the fall, Rice, a member of the Woodstock Planning Board, arrived early to a Woodstock Select Board meeting and heard residents expressing concern about the spring’s future. He decided to purchase the property, but the process took longer than expected and the sale was not completed until December.

Despite the purchase, the town may still conduct a geological study to determine the source of the spring. Town Manager Tonya Lewis said the town delayed applying for funding until the most recent grant cycle opened through the Community Resiliency Program, administered by the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments.

“That just happened within the last few weeks,” Lewis wrote of Rice’s purchase. “I am working on applying for funds to do the study.”

The study is expected to cost about $14,000, which Lewis said could be offset through a resiliency grant.

Lewis previously spoke about the spring’s popularity, noting that it draws steady use from locals and visitors alike.

“The North Pond campers and Newry skiers all use the water,” she said in October. “We get people from everywhere.

“Twenty-four hours a day people are at the spring filling their bottles,” she said. “Even in the dark, it’s hard to go by and not see anyone there.”