Agreement gives Atlantic salmon a clear shot up the Saco

Thanks to an agreement signed recently by the Saco River Coalition and the Central Maine Power Co., the river’s 10 dams no longer would impede migrations of Atlantic salmon and other anadromous fish. The agreement provides for installing a “lift and lock” fish-passage facility at the Cataract Project between Saco and Biddeford and includes plans for constructing fish-passage devices at five upriver dams.

If you keep pace with programs to restore runs of Atlantic salmon to Maine rivers, you may know the Saco River Coalition consists of Trout Unlimited, American Rivers, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Saco River Salmon Club, and the Maine Councils of TU and ASF.

In commenting on the agreement, Mona Janopaul, conservation counsel for TU, said: “The ultimate result of this pact is that there is now a good chance for restoring Atlantic salmon in the Saco. This is a terrific start and we look forward to working with CMP to address the remaining factors that are limiting the recovery of the Saco salmon.”

It’s no secret that dams have greatly reduced – in fact, eradicated – runs of anadromous fish in many of this country’s rivers by blocking upstream and downstream migrations.

In addition to CMP and the Saco River Coalition, the agreement was signed by the Maine Atlantic Sea-Run Salmon Commission, Department of Marine Resources, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, State Planning Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, city of Saco, city of Biddeford and the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game.

The Saco River drains 1,700 square miles of Maine and eastern New Hampshire. In spite of environmental degradation and the pressures of increasing population, the Saco River has retained excellent water quality and supports a broad spectrum of recreational uses.

However, the Saco River Coalition-CMP agreement addresses only fish passage. Other issues, including water-quality standards, the cumulative impacts of the 10 dams, fisheries and recreational river access, reservoir drawdown and associated wetlands and wildlife issues, and run of river operations have yet to be decided.

Speaking of Atlantic salmon, did anyone happen to read a recent Boston Globe article about the Penobscot River’s salmon-restoration program? The article began by saying salmon once were so plentiful in the Penobscot that fishermen lounging in lawn chairs caught the fish with dip nets. From there it went downhill.

Good loving God, where do they get their information? I was born and raised on the Penobscot and have fished the river since I was a teenager. But never have I heard of salmon being dip-netted by fishermen lounging in lawn chairs.

Georgia-Pacific Corp.’s Woodland pulp and paper operation has announced that a telephone information line is open for recreationists using the St. Croix River watershed. A recorded message on water flows below the Vanceboro Dam can be obtained by dialing 427-3117. The message will be updated each week and will forecast conditions for the coming week. Based on that information, outdoors enthusiasts bound for the river can plan accordingly.

“Many people drive long distances to enjoy the St. Croix River,” said Jim Kavanaugh, group leader for utilities at the Woodland mill. “While they can’t control what the weather will be like when they get here, at least they will know what the water conditions will be. This is a new public service Georgia-Pacific is pleased to provide during fishing and canoeing season.”

If you’re hankering for a feed of fresh mackerel, word is that schools of the flavorful fish are swarming into bays and inlets in the Belfast-Searsport-Castine areas. Gary Bennett of Hampden phoned the other day to say he and a fishing partner “got right in amongst ’em” off Castine.

Also, Brad Allen, a wildlife biologist with the DIFW, reported people were catching “tinkers” off the dock in Searsport last week when he set off to check islands for eagles.

Misfire: In last Saturday’s column regarding the July 23-31 Northeastern Primitive Rendezvous, I was off target in listing visitors’ days as July 24-30. I should have written July 24 and 30. My apologies.