Maine Rivers

Our mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the ecological health of Maine's river systems

Our mission is to protect, restore and enhance the ecological health of Maine’s river systems.

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Advocating for Free Flowing Rivers

Maine river

Hundreds of years ago, before the first European settlers came to Maine, the region looked very different. Towering white pines dominated the landscape; free-flowing rivers roared their way through forested inland reaches and out to the Gulf of Maine. And a dozen species of native sea-run fish migrated up Maine’s rivers every year. Atlantic salmon, American shad, striped bass, alewives, rainbow smelt and blueback herring were all among the fish that moved upriver in abundant numbers from saltwater to freshwater spawning and rearing habitat.

But with the damming of our rivers came huge declines in native fish populations. As early as the eighteenth century, selectmen from the town of Gorham petitioned a court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to order that fish passage be built at several dams on the Presumpscot River, because the fish on that river were “Intirely Deprived of the use of said River.” Now, early in a new century two hundred years later, we face the prospects of crashing marine fish populations and a looming energy crisis. In this period of increased awareness of ecosystem fragility and the limits of peak oil there is great potential for successful river restoration efforts.

However, with the intense interest in generating new and local forms of power, there is still a remarkable amount of confusion about the actual role of hydropower and the many antiquated and obsolete dams that litter Maine’s waterways. While about 120 dams in Maine are regulated and managed for power generation, an unknown number of dams remain moldering in place, unregistered and serving no purpose, clogging up our rivers and brooks. In some cases their original purpose is unknown, and those who built them are long gone. These obsolete dams create barriers for migratory fish, and greatly reduce the health of our coastal and riverine ecosystems. Their capacity for providing meaningful levels of power is virtually non-existent, but their negative impact on fisheries, water quality, and river health are very real.

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About Maine Rivers

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  • Maine Rivers Staff & Board of Directors
  • Letter from the President
  • Newsletters
  • Maine River Restoration Successes
  • Advocating for Free Flowing Rivers
  • Restoring Native Fish to Our Rivers
  • Supporting Grassroots Efforts

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Maine Rivers

1 day ago

Maine Rivers

bangordailynews.com/2019/12/12/news/midcoast/climate-change-is-real-heres-how-camden-is-working-t... ...

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Climate change is real. Here’s how Camden is working to address it.

bangordailynews.com

Paired with the town’s rolling mountains and historic harbor, Megunticook Lake and the Megunticook River are an integral piece of Camden’s image as a picturesque place to live and play.
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Finally a headline that gets it right! Here a photo that makes it a little more apparent why something needs to change there!

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Maine Rivers

1 week ago

Maine Rivers

www.mainepublic.org/post/critics-cmp-project-hydropower-canada-not-clean-portrayed?fbclid=IwAR3dQ... ...

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Critics Of CMP Project: Hydropower From Canada Not As Clean As Portrayed

www.mainepublic.org

Opponents of Central Maine Power's proposed 145-mile transmission line to bring hydropower from Canada to New England turned out in force at a public
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Maine Rivers

1 week ago

Maine Rivers

www.ecori.org/green-economy/2016/1/20/restoration-economy-better-to-remove-dams-than-replace ...

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Restoration Economy: Massachusetts Study Finds Better to Remove Dams Than Replace — ecoRI News

www.ecori.org

Dams and culverts exist in abundance across Massachusetts, and many of these structures, according to the state Department of Fish & Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, are in poor condition and have outlived their design life.
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Fish and Game and More....

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Maine Rivers

Contact Us

P.O. Box 782
Yarmouth, ME 04096
Phone: 207-847-9277

Email: contact@mainerivers.org

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