The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is currently conducting a dam relicensing and license-amendment process for four dams on Maine’s Kennebec River. This process occurs only every 30 years or so, meaning now is the time to act to restore fish passage on the lower Kennebec to benefit species that once thrived there, including the federally endangered Atlantic salmon.
In late March, FERC released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Kennebec. An EIS should be an objective analysis of environmental impacts and the steps needed to reduce them. However, in its document FERC has proposed the same fish passage measures—single upstream fish lifts and inadequate measures to keep fish out of turbines—that have failed on rivers with multiple dams everywhere else. For example, on the Connecticut and Merrimack Rivers, where FERC tried a similar approach, Atlantic salmon have disappeared entirely. Populations of other important species, including shad and river herring, also remain dismally low due to the shortcomings of these attempted fish passage solutions. There’s no reason to think these failed attempts would produce a different result on the Kennebec.
Trout Unlimited and other advocates for restoring migratory fish populations on the Kennebec River are joining forces to urge FERC to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make things right on the Kennebec. There are several ways you can join us in this effort.
Sign our petition. TU will include this petition with the detailed comments we will send to FERC this spring.
Submit personal comments to FERC. These may be submitted through FERC's electronic comment portal, which can be accessed here, or via mail to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. (The first page of any filing should include docket numbers P-2322-069; P-2322-071; P-2325-100; P-2574-092; and P-2611-091.)
Attend a public meeting. FERC will host two public comment meetings in Maine in May.
Meeting one: Tuesday, May 21, 7-9 p.m., Thomas College (Summit Room), 180 West River Road Waterville, Maine 04901
Meeting two: Wednesday, May 22, 10 a.m.-noon, Augusta Civic Center (Fort Western, Arnold, and Howard Rooms), 76 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine 04330
Thank you for joining Trout Unlimited and our partners in this important effort to ensure the survival of the iconic Atlantic salmon in the U.S.
To the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC):
The lower miles of the Kennebec River experienced a dramatic resurgence in water quality, wildlife, and economic opportunity with the removal of the Edwards Dam in 1999. The ongoing process of relicensing Shawmut Dam and amending the licenses of the Lockwood, Hydro Kennebec and Weston dams provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build upon this success by reconnecting migratory fish to the upper reaches of the river, including allowing endangered Atlantic salmon to reach important spawning habitat in the Sandy River.
The fish passage proposals in the recently released Draft EIS have not worked anywhere else, and there is no evidence they’ll work on the Kennebec River. Viable fish passage is essential for restoring migratory fish species to the Kennebec River, and ensuring that Atlantic salmon can reach the Sandy River will help to ensure that the iconic species will continue to exist in the United States.
We, the undersigned, urge FERC to bring all Kennebec River stakeholders to the table to work together on fish passage solutions that works for the river, for the fish, and for local people and businesses along the river.