April 17, 2026
The Fish Committee is excited to report that our fishway addition - a chute leading t o a resting pool just below the current fishway - was installed on Monday, April 13. The resting pool, constructed of loose boulders and rocks, is designed t o hold enough water between half- and low tide t o give the fish a better chance a t getting up the existing steep-pass fishway more quickly, without having to wait for the next rising tide. They will save energy in getting to their spawning grounds.
During the Town's annual Migratory Fish Celebration at the fishway/dam site on Saturday, May 23, 10-2, low tide will be at 11:30 AM. W e hope the herring will show u s their new option for swimming over the dam. The ospreys are telling u s the fish are o n their way!
Pete Robshaw, Fish Warden
Special thanks to Theo Willis for design inspiration and for facilitating DMR's 5-year loan of the fishway (discarded from Webber Pond, Vassalboro, where a big fishway/dam restoration is occurring); Casey Clark of DMR; DEP and the Army Corps for permitting; and, our Town for financing and Wardwell Construction for performing the installation.
Low tide, with dam and steep-pass fishway gates temporarily closed:
The engineering evaluation and feasibility study is underway! The steering committee has been
meeting monthly with the engineering firm, Verdantas, and our project manager from the
Downeast Salmon Federation, since winter. Here's the timeline for the project:
