NRCM Blog

Another reason to celebrate: 10 years of a free-flowing Kennebec

I just attended my 20th high school reunion this past weekend.  20 years ago, I was graduating from high school. That is hard to believe.  What is harder to believe is that that was around the time that NRCM and its partners in the Kennebec Coalition started the decade of hard work to remove the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River in Augusta. 

And ten years ago tomorrow - on July 1, 1999 - I was sitting on the edge of the Kennebec River, along with hundreds of others as the first murky water flowed freely through the site of the Edwards Dam for the first time in more than 150 years. 

I was a fairly new NRCM staff member at the time, and was still processing the excitement of having met Bonnie Raitt at Merrill Auditorium the night before.  She had done a benefit concert for us in celebration of the dam's removal - it was incredible!  And then, to get up early the next morning and head over to the other side of the Kennebec to sit and wait for the big event was almost more than I could bear.  I was SO excited.  I found a spot early and sat there for most of the day, looking through binoculars to see if I would have a good view of the spot where the first water would come rushing through. 

I remember listening to all of the speeches by Brownie, Governor King, and others that day - and then hearing them ring the bell, signaling that it was time (finally!) for the dam to come out.  St. Augustine Church rang its bells as well that day, in celebration of this historic event. 

And then, to see the water come rushing through the first hole dug out of the dam, and hearing everyone cheer and clap...it is a moment in time that I will never forget. 

Were you there that day?  What do you remember?  Please share photos and stories with us as we celebrate 10 years of a free-flowing Kennebec River.  And, if you can - join us on July 18 as we paddle this stretch of river from Sidney to Augusta in celebration of the rebirth of the Kennebec River! Learn more here.

Happy Anniversary! Watch video of the 10th anniversary celebration at http://www.nrcm.typepad.com/nrcminsider/

-Beth

Using our muscles to move mussels on the Sebasticook

NRCM staff and members have had the opportunity to work with others to help relocate mussels in the Sebasticook River over the past two weeks.  Many of those who volunteered wanted to share their experiences with others and have done so below.  We hope that if you volunteered on this project as well that you will let us know about your experience "using your muscles to move mussels." 

Michelle (NRCM summer intern): Mussel moving was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that combined environmental stewardship and a fun day at the river.  Overall, the experience was great, and I learned a lot about mussels that I absolutely never would have otherwise.

Molly (NRCM summer intern): It was really amazing that within a half hour, we were all experts at mussel identification and were able to get a lot done. The whole day was a perfect example of community members coming together to be responsible stewards for their environment, and we had a great time doing it!

Windy (NRCM receptionist) I truly felt honored to be part of this historical moment in our beautiful state. The removal of this dam has been a long time coming. We all learned a great deal about mussels and the process of identifying, safely transporting, and replanting them in the river bed. This was my first chance to actively take part in such a worthy cause, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.


Leisa (NRCM advocacy assistant): Up to this point I have done very little volunteering.  This has mostly been due to making time in my busy schedule in a typical hectic life.  Having 2 kids, a husband, 1 full-time job, 1 part-time job and many pets, it is often hard to find time to get anything else in.  This has been very disappointing. 

Just yesterday I decided I was going to try and volunteer.  I have decided to try new things and experience life like I haven’t in the past.  I wonder, like many I am sure, if I could do what was being asked?  How hard would it be? Would I just get in the way or truly be a "great volunteer."   

I answered all those questions when I finally stepped up to the plate and volunteered to help relocate mussels in the Sebasticook River this past Tuesday...

Update on alewives bill

Here is an article from today's Bangor Daily News that explains the latest on the St. Croix alewives bill:

Compromise Would Allow Alewives Up to Grand Falls
Tuesday March 18th, 2008, by Kevin Miller

AUGUSTA - A legislative committee has reached a tentative compromise that would allow alewives in the St. Croix River up to the Grand Falls dam this year.

A majority of members of the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee have voted once in support of a bill that would reopen the Woodland dam to alewives, also known as river herring, for the first time since 1995. The committee is expected to revisit the vote this Wednesday.

The original version of LD 1957 would have allowed sea-run alewives to swim above both the Woodland and Grand Falls dams in the St. Croix. But that bill, like similar proposals in past years, encountered stiff opposition from registered guides and others who fear the sea-run alewives will destroy the prized smallmouth bass and landlocked salmon fisheries in the area.

Under the amended version, the Department of Marine Resources and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife would work together to develop a river herring management plan before any alewives would be allowed beyond Grand Falls.

The two departments would consult with the leadership of the Passamaquoddy Tribe when developing the plan. An earlier proposal would have given Passamaquoddy leaders, who have lobbied against upriver passage of alewives, an equal role in development of a management plan.

The presence — or lack thereof — of alewives in the St. Croix has been an inflammatory issue during the past 15 years.