In September 2025, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Maine announced an agreement to purchase the four mainstem hydropower dams owned by Brookfield Renewables: the Lockwood, Hydro-Kennebec, Shawmut, and Weston Dams. This sets the stage for their removal and marks a truly historic milestone for the Kennebec River. A long-time and active member of the Kennebec Coalition, Maine Rivers applauds this important moment. The ecological potential of the Kennebec, with a run of endangered Atlantic salmon, and the potential to support much larger numbers of American shad, river herring, American eel and sea lamprey, remains inspiring with the potential of positive impact on more than 825 miles of river and stream habitat. Experience shows that removing dams brings rivers back to life.
Plans to implement the agreement and begin the actual restoration work will take time; we are pleased to know that TNC is prioritizing not only the ecological health of the waterway but also collaborative efforts, bringing together municipalities, businesses, riverside property owners and Wabanaki tribal members. We look forward to supporting and being a part of the effort. For more information visit TNC.
Previously, Maine Rivers joined the Kennebec Coalition in filing a lawsuit to stop Brookfield Renewables from violating federal law. The lawsuit is an effort to focus attention on the impact of hydropower operations on endangered Atlantic salmon. Maine Rivers has long called for restoring the full suite of co-evolved sea-run fish which are essential to the health of the Gulf of Maine. The Endangered Species Act prohibits the killing, harming, or capture of endangered species unless a company has received an “incidental take” permit. Brookfield has been violating the ESA by killing endangered Atlantic salmon migrating upstream and downstream on the Kennebec.
Now with annual runs of fish in the millions, the lower Kennebec has been revitalized by the removal of the Edwards and Fort Halifax Dams in 1999 and 2008. But that success has historically stalled as Brookfield’s dams create an impassable wall for adult salmon and other fish moving upstream from the Gulf of Maine. With TNC’s recent purchase and plans for removing those dams, there is new hope. Read More…
Map coutesy of Atlantic Salmon Federation