Sabattus River

Maine Rivers is partnering with the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) on a series of ambitious restoration projects along the Sabattus River. The Sabattus River, a tributary to the lower Androscoggin River, historically supported alewife, blueback herring, American shad, Atlantic salmon, American eel, and sea lamprey. As early as 1800, several dams were built on the Sabattus River to power mills. For more than a century these dams drove the growth of the communities on the river, but the dams extirpated the communities of sea-run fish that once returned each year to spawn. These restoration projects will improve fish passage for native species, decrease public hazards, and benefit local communities. Explore the storymap below.