Local groups seize rare opportunity to save crucial businesses: 'Multiple generations are going to either benefit or not'

A hydropower dam in Brunswick, Maine, could soon work better for both fish and people, as local groups push for improvements during its upcoming federal review, reported Maine Public.

The dam creates enough electricity to power 13,500 homes. But its outdated fish passage system blocks thousands of native fish, such as Atlantic salmon and shad, from swimming upstream to lay their eggs. In 2023, only 91 shad made it past the dam, though sonar showed 10,000 waiting below.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and multiple generations are going to either benefit or not benefit from the decisions made in the next five years around this relicensing," said Chip Spies, an organizer with Free the Andro, a new coalition of conservation groups.

The dam's operator, Brookfield Renewable, wants to keep running it after its license expires in 2029. The company recently agreed to study ways to help more fish travel upstream, including modifying or replacing the existing passage system.

Maine's Department of Marine Resources supports the push for better fish passage. The department has already invested in restoring upstream habitats, including the Sabattus River. However, those efforts need an upgraded dam to succeed.

"The current fishway has numerous issues that prevent the restoration of sea-run fish and currently limit meaningful recreational and commercial fisheries above the project," said Sean Ledwin, who directs the department's Bureau of Sea-Run Fisheries and Habitat.

The improvements could bring back traditional fishing spots that have supported local communities for generations. Free the Andro was formed to ensure this chance for positive change doesn't slip away.

"The best solution frankly is removal of the dam," Spies said. "But there's other alternatives and that is what is being considered right now. There could be ways to improve the fishway, to improve attraction to the current fishway up and downstream, there could be alternative fishways that are designed."

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