The Kennebec River Fish Restoration Project: Success for River Herring

The goal of the Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration Project is to restore Maine’s native diadromous fishes to their historic range and abundance in the watershed.  Two multi-party settlement agreements have been instrumental in the success of the project by providing funds for restoration and establishing deadlines or triggers for passage at eight hydropower projects.  Major restoration events were the removal of Edwards Dam in 2000; removal one nonhydropower dam (Guilford) and installation of fish passage at three others (Plymouth Pond, Pleasant Pond, Sebasticook Lake) between 1999 and 2003; construction of fishlifts at the Lockwood, Benton Falls, and Burnham projects in 2006; removal of Madison Electric Works Dam in 2006; removal of Fort Halifax Dam in 2008; and installation of fish passage at Webber Pond in 2009.  Prior to the provision of fish passage, the Department of Marine Resources typically stocked adult river herring into spawning habitat that was historically accessible.  River herring populations have responded quickly and positively when allowed access to habitat.  Annual returns of adult spawners, juvenile abundance, and trawl survey data will be examined to demonstrate the success of the Kennebec River restoration on river herring population abundance.