Maine Rivers Projects

With removal of the Edwards Dam in Augusta in 1999 and the removal of the Fort Halifax Dam in Winslow in 2008, sea-­run fish passage has been restored from the ocean directly to the Sebasticook River. In 2021 for the first time since 1789, native alewives were able to freely make their way to spawn in China Lake, then safety out migrate back to the ocean.

Cobbossee Stream continues to flow, gurgle and pulse through the remnants of its 200 year old economic history in downtown Gardiner, singing its wild and beautiful song as it reclaims its natural territory.

The SCWG is a forum, networking and coordinating group that informs, leverages, and enhances the work of on-the-ground restoration practitioners and planners in Maine.

The Mousam watershed is a rich and diverse landscape with many areas considered to be of “statewide ecological significance” by the State of Maine.

The 2008 Royal River Corridor Master Plan recommended performing a comprehensive study of the advantages and disadvantages of removing dams and recommended that improvements to fish passage be made throughout the river corridor.

This document is intended to provide basic guidance to project managers working on river restoration and dam removal projects in Maine.

The overall goal of this project is to establish safe, timely and effective alewife passage to and from Threemile Pond to support a run of up to 400,000+ adult alewives and other diadromous species via Seaward Mills Stream, Webber Pond and Seven-mile Stream.

Maine Rivers is spearheading efforts to improve fish passage in the Medomak watershed, including alewife passage into and out of Washington Pond as well as at numerous other sites.

Maine’s annual spring alewife migration is inspiring. Alewives are anadromous (sea-run) fish that spend the majority of their lives at sea but return to freshwater to spawn. We created a map to help you find locations to witness this natural wonder.