List of dam removals in Maine
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This is a list of dams in Maine that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.
Removals by watershed
[edit]Bagaduce River
[edit]A dam owned by the Town of Penobscot on Winslow Stream, a tributary of the tidal Bagaduce River, was used to maintain the water level of Wight Pond. It was replaced with a fish passage in 2017 to allow alewife to access the pond for spawning while still maintaining the water level.[1]
Kennebec River
[edit]The hydroelectric Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River was removed in 1999 after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission refused to renew its license, marking the first time the federal government ordered the removal of a dam against the wishes of its owners.[2]
Sennebec River
[edit]At the time of its removal in 2002, Sennebec Dam was the last man-made barrier on the Saint George River. The dam had raised the natural water level on Sennebec Pond, and was replaced with a fish ramp that maintained the level while opening 17 miles (27 km) of the river and 1,100 acres (450 ha) of lake habitat to fish passage.[3]
Sheepscot River
[edit]The Coopers Mill Dam was removed from the Sheepscot River in 2018.
The Head Tide Dam was a former grist mill dam on the Sheepscot River purchased by the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Town of Alna for the purposes of removal. In 2019 the dam was partially removed and replaced with an elevated platform to allow for fish passage.[4]
The 35 ft (11 m) Lower Montsweag Dam on Montsweag Brook, a tributary of the Sheepscot River, had been built to create an emergency water source for the Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. The dam was removed in 2010.
Completed removals
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Rappaport, Stephen (August 15, 2017). "Crews begin removing Wight Pond dam". The Ellsworth American. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ a b "The River Runs Free" (PDF). Maine State Planning Office, State House Section 38, Augusta, Maine. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
- ^ a b "Sennebec Dam Removal Union, Maine" (PDF). NOAA Community-based Restoration Program. 2003. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Clifford, Jessica (November 7, 2019). "Head Tide Dam Project a 'Gift That's Going to Outlive Us All'". The Lincoln County News. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare. American Rivers. February 13, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Removed dams in Maine at Wikimedia Commons
