Project Titles:

• Restore Fish Passage & Stream Processes in Old Stream, Maine (FFS #R5TE)
• Restore Aquatic Connectivity within GOM DPS Atlantic Salmon Rivers (FFS #R5TH)

State: Maine

Project Description: The Maine Fishery Resources Office received $150,000 in Recovery Act funding to restore fish passage in the Old Stream and West Branch Machias River in Washington County, Maine.

The construction efforts within these watersheds will restore fish passage and ecological stream processes that will benefit the endangered Atlantic salmon, Eastern Brook trout and other native species. Specifically, the project will create 30 more miles of stream access.

The Designated Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (specific region of a species that requires protection under the Endangered Species Act) includes the Dennys, East Machias, Machias, Pleasant, Narraguagus, Ducktrap, Sheepscot, Penobscot, Androscoggin, and Kennebec rivers, as well as Cove Brook.

The projects are being carried out by Project SHARE (Salmon Habitat and River Enhancement) in cooperation with private landowners and the Maine Fishery Resources Office. The work entails replacing eight culverts, removing six more, and removing one remnant log-drive dam. Manmade structures such as culverts cause river fragmentation. This project will establish natural connectivity of waters within the Old Stream basin and Machias River.

This is just part of the ARRA-funded work being carried out by Project SHARE in Washington County, one of the poorest counties in Maine. Last year, work was completed at 37 different sites to restore fish passage throughout the former logging community. This year, there will be an additional 38 work sites.

According to Steven Koenig, director of Project SHARE, ARRA funds were responsible for a $1.2 million influx into the local economy last year. The non-profit organization dedicated to salmon habitat restoration hires local subcontractors to do all the labor, who in turn shop at local stores. The environment, the salmon, and especially the community have benefited, and will continue to benefit from this timely government investment. The project has also led to the creation of a post-undergraduate year-long internship focused on the various aspects of these restoration efforts.

The projects are expected to be complete by October 2010.

The Maine Fishery Resources Office has been working cooperatively with Project SHARE since 2007 to assess sites that make fish passage difficult, and to prioritize the most crucial habitat connectivity projects.

For more information, read the FWS Fact Sheet on Atlantic Salmon.

Photos:

Originally posted 10/09/2009
Updated 01/14/2010