Connectivity
The Interagency Stream Connectivity Working Group was created in 2009 with direction from Governor John Baldacci to improve the coordination between state agencies regarding connectivity and river restoration. Growing interest and awareness of the importance of connectivity led to expanding this group to include federal agencies and non-governmental groups and now includes Maine Rivers as well as:
State Government: Maine Department of Transportation, Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine State Planning Office, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; Maine Department of Conservation, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
Federal Government: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Fisheries, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service
NGO representatives: American Rivers, Atlantic Salmon Federation, The Nature Conservancy; Project SHARE, Trout Unlimited
The Workgroup attempts to address the broad suite of connectivity issues, including those related to in-stream connectivity, upland-aquatic ecosystems, temperature, and fish and wildlife. Most work occurs at the committee level. One of the challenges that many members of the group acknowledge is funding—our rivers and streams would benefit from having staff dedicated to coordinate and implement efforts to improve connectivity efforts through the state, and the rivers of Maine would clearly benefit from funding designated to support restoration efforts. While these concerns may remain on the table for some time yet, it is clear that connecting the various state and federal agencies involved with river restoration, and including NGOs like Maine Rivers, will provide benefits.
Royal River Restoration Study Underway
The Royal River flows 26 miles from Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester to the head of tide at Yarmouth, and its tidal estuary goes on for several miles to Casco Bay. This small coastal watershed drains 142 square miles. Today much of the Royal River and nearby lands are used for public and recreational purposes. Like many other Maine coastal rivers, it has a history of intense industrial and commercial use. While some scattered evidence of this history remains, the tanneries, brickyards, paper factories and poultry processing plants are long gone. Two reaches of the river remain affected by old dams in Yarmouth, at East Elm Street and at Bridge Street.
In January 2009 the Royal River Corridor Master Plan was completed on behalf of the Town of Yarmouth with the goal of providing a long-term vision to enhance the river’s natural qualities and lessen environmental impacts on it while continuing to keep its resources available to resident and businesses. The Royal River Restoration Study follows one of the recommendations of the master plan, to “Improve fish passages. Make improvements to fish passage throughout the corridor, recognizing the potential for significant alewife populations and other species to use the river.”
The restoration study will analyze the impacts of the two dams, and review alternatives for river restoration. Diadromous fish that would benefit from increased upstream passage include alewives, blueback herring, “salter” brook trout, American shad, sea lamprey and American eel. Both dams have fishways, but it’s uncertain how functional those are. The Bridge Street dam is owned by the Town of Yarmouth and produces hydropower for the Sparhawk Mill. Funding for the restoration study came in part from NOAA and the Conservation Law Foundation, and it is being conducted by Stantec Consulting.
