Wabanaki Days in Maine

Boulders are placed in the Meduxnekeag River to create a more natural aquatic habit for fish. Photo credit: USFWS

Today we hear from Jennifer Lapis, a public affairs specialist in the Northeast Region. This summer she visited three Native American tribes in Maine, getting a firsthand look at the restoration and wildlife conservation work being completed in partnership with the Service and other organizations. 

Laughs and smiles of excitement flooded the air as we pulled up to the project site on the serene Meduxnekeag River. On this sunny summer day in northern Maine, I had the pleasure of joining the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and several partnering agencies at a traditional blessing ceremony, honoring the start of an in-stream habitat restoration project that will benefit eastern brook trout and other aquatic species found in the river.

Others attending the Maliseet ceremony were part of a dedicated team of professionals who worked for more than a year to develop, coordinate and finally witness the anticipated habitat enhancement project come to fruition.

Representatives from the Maliseet Tribe and partnering organizations pose for a group photo. Partnering agencies involved are: Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Houlton Band of Maliseets, Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Town of Littleton, Maine.

The Maliseets, members of the Wabanaki Nation, are river people who have traditionally been hunters and gatherers in the St. John River basin, of which the Meduxnekeag River is a tributary. The Meduxnekeag, which in the Wabanaki language means, “where it is rocky at its mouth,” runs through Maliseet Tribal lands and is prized for its brook and brown trout populations.

Standing on the bridge looking out, I watched in awe as large trucks and heavy equipment operators brought large boulders and entire tree trunks into the river, strategically placing them to create more natural habitats for fish. This particular restoration project is significant not only for restoring the area to its historical natural ecology, but also for the spiritual and cultural meaning the river and all its resources have provided for life and survival of the Maliseet people.

D.J. Monette, the Service’s regional Native American Liaison, participates in the smudging performed by a Tribal elder. Photo Credit: USFWS

The trip to Houlton was part of a whirlwind tour of several natural resource project sites in northeast Maine, all conducted by tribes, in partnership with federal, state and non-profit organizations. These projects are made possible, in part, with funding through the Service’s Tribal Wildlife Grants Program, National Fish Habitat Action Plan and Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture.

Other tribes we visited on this engaging trip were the Aroostook Band of Micmacs and the Penobscot Indian Nation, who also belong to the larger Wabanaki Nation. As with the Maliseets, these tribes are heavily involved with natural resource projects throughout their lands and in the community. Our tour of project sites brought us to a newly constructed farm store and fish hatchery, a natural rock weir (made for fish passage), and road culverts that will help restore streams to their natural flow for better fish passage, wildlife habitat and are designed to withstand 100 year catastrophic rain events.

“This natural rock weir helps direct fish and  allows them to move freely and naturally up and down stream, giving them access to important spawning habitat.” Photo credit: USFWS

As a public affairs specialist for the Service, my day to day job duties tend to keep me in the office a majority of the time. Having an opportunity to get outdoors and see first hand the conservation work I so often read and write about, was a refreshing and heart- warming experience. Along those same lines, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting two respected Tribal Leaders, Houlton Band of Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander and Aroostook Band of Micmac Chief Charlie Peter Paul. It was an enlightening, educational, and certainly, a most memorable trip.

Learn more about our work with Native American Tribes

Learn more about the National Fish Habitat Partnership

Learn more about Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture

Downing Harvell Dam opens up 127 miles of Virginia’s Appomattox River

Today we hear from Albert Spells, our fisheries coordinator for Virginia, sharing his story about the recent demolition of the Harvell Dam and what it means for migratory fish.

Photo credit: Virginia Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries/ Alan Weaver

Albert Spells, Virginia Fisheries Coordinator. Photo credit: USFWS

Wow! It has  been almost surreal to experience the Harvell Dam being removed in Petersburg, Virginia. It is a project I have worked on for nearly five years, and it is so gratifying to see the water flowing freely along this stretch of the Appomattox River.

The Harvell Dam as it sat in the Appomattox River in Petersburg, Virginia. Photo credit: Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries/ Alan Weaver

Since 1930 the dam has been a clog in the free flow of the river, impeding fish and other aquatic wildlife from reaching their native habitats. There is even historical evidence that there has been a dam structure at or near the site of the Harvell Dam dating back to the mid-1700s. And just below the site of the dam there is still visible evidence that Native Americans altered fish movement with rock weirs to help collect food.

All these structures have impounded the river’s free flow and for centuries have blocked upstream movement of American shad, river herring, hickory shad, striped bass and American eel.

Working to remove the Harvell Dam. Photo Credit: USFWS/ Albert Spells

On July 1, 2014, work began to remove the dam. Deconstruction was slow to begin, but on July 23 water breached the barricade. And now, with the demolition complete, the river runs freely again for the first time in more than 250 years. A good change has come upon the river; it’s been a long time coming.

Dam removal is complete: A free flowing Appomattox River. Photo credit: USFWS/ Albert Spells

From a viewpoint at the dam’s former site, I have seen American shad, American eel, river herring and other fish species swimming in the river. These migrant swimmers have gained access to nearly 127 miles of spawning and nursery habitat upstream. And although there are additional man-made obstacles structures upstream, there are fishways installed that allow passage past them.

I am excited about the possibilities of improved fish returns and plan to monitor fish movement on the river next spring and in the years to come.

Photo credit: USFWS/ Albert Spells

Many partners have made this event possible, but none more than the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the great work of Fish Passage Coordinator Alan Weaver. The VDGIF and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program funded the feasibility study for the dam removal. The design and removal phase was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Restoration Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Passage Program and VDGIF. American Rivers has continued to provide much needed support and promotion of the project, and the project would also not be possible without the cooperation of the owner, Harvell Dam Corporation and local support from the City of Petersburg.

Read the news release to learn more about this project.