Removal of dam ready to begin (Maine)

[jpak]

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/2973960.shtml

NORRIDGEWOCK -- Breaching of the Sandy River Dam, a project designed to restore salmon and other sea-run fish from the Kennebec, is scheduled to begin at 9 this morning.

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Although the dam once provided all of the power used in the town of Madison, in recent years it has provided less than 2 percent. The Sandy River Dam will be decommissioned and the dam/spillway will be completely breached.

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Studies have been conducted by the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission on smolt production and ocean survival. They have shown a significant amount of high-quality salmon habitat above the dam. Removal of this dam will allow for 52 miles of unimpeded passage for Atlantic salmon and other migratory fish all the way to Smalls Falls, according to the study.

The Atlantic Salmon Commission has estimated that the Sandy River can provide up to 80 percent of the salmon spawning habitat on the Kennebec River Basin. Removal of the Madison Electric Works dam also offers significant benefits to American eels, which now have almost full access to the Sandy River thanks to recent improvements on downstream hydro-electric stations. Sponsors of the project include Madison Electric Works, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, Trout Unlimited, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Atlantic Salmon Commission.

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[Botany]

1. Small Victories are nice

[jpak]

2. Maine's done a lot to restore anadromous fish habitat

The Edwards Dam on the lower Kennebec River was removed in 1999...

http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/biobulletin/biobulletin/story1204.html

It was a major obstacle to fish ascending the river. In the spring after its removal, there was a massive alewife run past the site of the old dam - followed by the return of stripers, blueback herring, shad and sturgeon (and hopefully a few Atlantic Salmon in the near future).

http://www.mainerivers.org/ken_facts.htm

I canoed the restored portion of the river a few summers ago and saw 8-10 foot sturgeon breach repeatedly (we thought it was a Jet-ski at first - lol).

The impending removal of the Fort Halifax dam just upstream of the former Edwards Dam will open up the Sabasticook River drainage...

http://www.maineenvironment.org/news_detail.asp?news=81

...and new fishways at other Kennebec dams will allow access to much of the river's former migratory fish habitat...

http://www.maineenvironment.org/news_detail.asp?news=663

There's also a major restoration project underway on the Maine's Penobscot River (by far the largest on the East Coast). Three dams will be removed which will open up ~500 miles of sea run fish habitat - without a significant decline in hydroelectric power production.

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/2791282.shtml

http://www.csrwire.com/PressRelease.php?id=5954

http://www.penobscotriver.org/

http://www.bangornews.com/news/templates/?a=137025

(you can have your cake and eat it too...)

:)

[Botany]

3. I still remember floating in an inner tube on the Willimatte River

in Oregon and seeing some big old salmon swim underneath me ....

Sadly they still had some major dams to get around.

Our future is in ecosystem restoration and safe renewable energies .....

Way to go Maine!

[Dover]

4. What is Maine's new source of electric power?

A wonderful, encouraging story. Thanks.

[jpak]

5. Currently, ~50% of Maine's electricity is produced by hydroelectric dams

and wood-fired power plants (~1050 MW).

http://www.powerplantjobs.com/ppj.nsf/powerplants1?openform&cat=me&Count=500

There are 3 large gas-fired co-generation (CHP) plants at existing paper mills and a bunch of smaller CHP facilities using wood, pulp mill waste or natural gas.

http://www.eea-inc.com/chpdata/States/ME.html

There are ~800-900 MW of new wind power capacity in various stages of development in western (Kimby and Reddington mountains, Freedom ME) and northern (the Linekin and Mars Hill projects) Maine.

...and 5 tidal power projects in development (Piscatiqua, Kennebec and Penobscot rivers, and Down East). These should add another 200-300 MW.

The Passamaquoddy tribe is proposing a wind farm, a tidal project and a wave power plant on their lands Down East. IIRC these will add 100-200 MW to the mix.

Maine has an enormous potential for off-shore wind (2-3000 MW) and wave power (not yet fully assessed).

Maine has a $2 rebate on compact fluorescent bulbs and nasty old Maine Democrats in the Legislature are trying to ban the sale of non-Energy Star appliances in the state.

The University of Maine also has a major bio-refinery project underway. These processes will allow paper and wood product mills to produce biofuels as well as paper and structural wood products. It's estimated that Maine could produce 30-50% of its heating and transport fuel needs without increasing its current wood harvest. If people dumped their pickups and SUVs for fuel efficient vehicles, Maine could produce most or all of its automotive fuel within 20 years.

Lots going on...

:)