Knock down that dam!

Looking downstream just below the Great Works Dam. Photo from Penobscot River Restoration Trust.

We’re kicking off our celebration of the second dam removal in Maine’s Penobscot River restoration project! Last summer, Great Works Dam in Old Town and Bradley was taken down. Monday, July 22, a community event highlighted the beginning of the removal of Veazie Dam, the closest dam blocking fish on the Penobscot from the ocean. Our agency has dedicated much time and funding to this monumental endeavor (Find out how in this PDF)!

Artwork on the Veazie Dam Breaching Poster from the Penobscot River Restoration Trust.

The lower river will flow freely from Milford to the sea, allowing endangered shortnose sturgeon, threatened Atlantic sturgeon, rainbow smelt, tomcod, and striped bass access to 100 percent of their historic habitat. Opening up the lower river will be a huge step forward in realizing the project’s goal to restore self-sustaining runs of all sea-run fisheries in the watershed. Learn more about the effort.

We’re sharing stories from our biologists and partners striving to restore the river for Atlantic salmon and other fish and ensuring it continues to provide benefits for the people of Maine. Today you’re hearing from Alan Kane of the Downeast Salmon Federation!

Wait – there’s more! See other videos and posts from work on Veazie and Great Works.

Here’s what we’ve posted so far:

• “The promise of Penobscot,” a post by guest blogger Kate Dempsey of The Nature Conservancy
• “Healthy rivers for healthy fish,” a video clip of Laura Rose Day of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust
• “What does salmon restoration mean to me?” a video clip of Steve Shepard of our Maine Field Office
• “Saving salmon from extinction,” a video clip of Andy Goode of the Atlantic Salmon Federation
• “Veazie Dam breached!” a post by Meagan Racey of our Northeast Region Office