MACHIAS RIVER Salmon Restoration

JAMES S. FLETCHER Fishery Biologist Atlantic Salmon Commission

Published by

MAINE ATLANTIC SALMON COMMISSION

HORACE P. BOND, Chairman ROLAND H. COBB, Commissioner STANLEY R. TUPPER, Commissioner

Augusta, Maine

1955 FOREWORD

Dear Maine Citizen :

Your Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game and Atlantic Salmon Commission are conducting state-wide studies to restore and maintain our fisheries.

The management plan presented here for the Machias River salmon restoration is the result of seven years' work by trained fishery biologists who have planned the work, analyzed the data, and prepared the report.

As these studies are completed they are presented to you. We are making every effort to be certain that all interests are considered before the management plan for any water area is published in final form. Part of this effort is the public meeting to which representatives of industry and sportsmen's groups are invited to take part in the program by discussing plans and recommendations with us. This report is a condensation of the study presented at the May 25, 1955 meeting at the Washington State Teachers' College in Machias.

With gratitude for your interest in restoring one of Maine's most famous game fishes, I am

Sincerely,

HORACE P. BOND Chairman Atlantic Salmon Commission MACHIAS RIVER

SALMON RESTORATION Page Introduction ...... 1

Early History of the Fishery ...... 2

Obstructions ...... 3

The Gorge ...... 3

The Lower Dam ...... 5

The Upper Dam ...... 7

The Whitneyville Dam ...... 10

River Inventory ...... 14

Water Control ...... 15

Pollution ...... 16

Stocking Experiments ...... 16

Adult Enumeration ...... 21

Regulations ...... 22

Sport Fishery ...... 23

Recommendations ...... 24

Acknowledgments ...... 25 MACHIAS RIVER

SALMON RESTORATION

INTRODUCTION

A spawning migration of 544 adult salmon (Salmo solar) entered the Machias River in 1954 and demonstrated the value of Atlantic salmon restoration to the State of Maine. A state- wide study of the Atlantic salmon is in progress to restore runs in suitable Maine rivers. The Atlantic Salmon Commission initiated a series of studies in June 1949 to evaluate the physical and biological factors affecting the Atlantic salmon sport fishery on the Machias River. Included in the studies are : Early History of the Fishery, Obstructions, River Inventory, Stocking Experiments, Adult Enumeration, Regulations, and Sports Fishery. Some phases of the study are completed and all have progressed so that management plans can be formulated. The Machias River, Washington and Hancock Counties, Maine, flows in a south-easterly direction from its source, the Machias Lakes, to enter the Atlantic Ocean through Machias Bay at Machias. Over 450 square miles of forested lands are included in the drainage area. There is a 375-foot drop over the 60 miles from the source of the river to its outfall in Machias Bay ; the gradient is rather constant, although several rips and falls are present. The main river, including over 95 tributaries, totals over 400 linear miles. There are more than 25 lakes and ponds in the drainage that range in surface area from 20 acres to 2850 acres. West Branch Machias River, Old Stream and Mopang Stream are the major tributaries. A diagrammatic sketch of the Machias River watershed has been placed on the cover of this report for the convenience of the reader in locating dam sites and other major features.

1 EARLY HISTORY OF THE FISHERY

Atlantic salmon were so abundant in the Machias River slightly over a century ago that Atkins (1874)* later wrote, ". . . a man with a dip-net could take 60 in a day. . ." Atkins' figure is in sharp contrast with 1954 when the highest single day's total catch for the trap at the head of the Lower Dam fishway, through which all upstream migrants must pass, was 33 adult salmon. The difficulty experienced in dipnetting salmon in a trap empha- sizes the tremendous number that must have been present to permit the dipping of 60 by one man in the river proper. The river mouth had been completely blocked by dams within five years following the settling of Machias in 1763. These dams formed a complete barrier to upstream spawning migrations of both the Atlantic salmon and alewives and, in addition, altered the normal flow of water at the mouth of the river. Thus, as early as 1780, or 17 years after Machias was settled, the fisheries had declined to a point where it was necessary for the townspeople to pass regulations that insured the passage of a portion of the runs through the dams. Apparently the passageways and conservation laws had a beneficial effect upon the fisheries as both alewives and Atlantic salmon were considered extremely abundant for about fifty years following the enactment of these measures. The Upper Dam in Machias was built in 1841-42. A third dam, at Whitneyville, five miles upstream, was in operation as early as 1842. "After the erection of these impassable dams the salmon disappeared from the river" ( Atkins 1874) . Although Atkins (1874) reported the salmon as disappearing, a small remnant has since then managed to return to the Machias River and has been in sufficient numbers in occasional years to be remembered by living residents. 'Big Run' years intensified the interest in the fishery and undoubtedly accounted for the pool- type fishways constructed at the Upper Dam and at Whitneyville during the 1870's and reconstructed at intervals up to the present time. Each of these was neglected in turn and went to decay

* Atkins, Charles G. 1874. On the salmon of eastern North America, and its artificial culture. Rept. Comm., U. S. Comm. Fish and Fisheries for 1872 and 1873. Pt. IX; 226-337.

2 or was damaged by freshets. There is no indication that all three dams were ever simultaneously provided with adequate fishways throughout a single life cycle of the salmon. Lack of adequate fishways was a major factor in the decline of the fishery.

OBSTRUCTIONS Four major barriers must be passed by migrating salmon to obtain access to the spawning areas in the headwaters of the Machias River. These are known as the Gorge, Lower Dam, Upper Dam, and Whitneyville Dam.

The Gorge The natural rock gorge beneath the bridge on Route One in Machias has unfavorably affected salmon migrations throughout the recorded history of the Machias River. The Gorge is that section of the river from tidal water to a point directly beneath the cement highway bridge. Adverse conditions in this section of the river were noted as early as 1873 (Atkins 1874). The Gorge has for many years prevented the migration of alewives to the waters above the dam. The 1949 run and subsequent small runs of alewives in the lower river are presumed to have been strays from the alewife population in the East Machias River or nearby tributaries, or adults spawning in the waters below the Gorge. During the summer of 1949 an intensive study of the Gorge was made with particular attention to migrating salmon. At- lantic salmon entering the Gorge were observed at many points. It was not unusual for hundreds of spectators to line the bridges to watch the salmon attempt the various jumps necessary to gain access to the fishway above the bridge. Many of the salmon that succeeded in ascending were found to be scraped, bruised, and wounded in other visible ways when examined at the counting station at the head of the fishway in the Lower Dam. The internal damage resulting from the experience was not deter- mined. Dead salmon were found in the rocks below the 'jump area' and presumably died attempting to make the falls ; many injured salmon probably fell back, unobserved, into tidal water or were carried back by water currents after being injured in the Gorge.

3 Pathological examinations of salmon taken to the Federal Hatch- ery at East Orland indicate that the poor condition of many of the fish must be attributed to the injuries sustained ascending the Gorge. Observations of the migrating salmon indicated that diverting the flow of water through a restricted area of the Gorge would make the barrier more readily passable. The first experimental attempt at improving the Gorge was made during the summer of 1949 when several members of the Machias Valley Sportsmen's Club assisted the Salmon Commis- sion's fishery biologist in sandbagging a section of the Gorge beneath the bridge. Water was partially diverted towards the west bank of the river, bypassing the treacherous pools in the center of the Gorge. Insufficient water volume in this diversion prevented salmon from ascending. With an increase in the height of the diversion wall, the entire flow was diverted to the west bank. Eighteen salmon ascended the Gorge within 24 hours, although similar water heights had prevented passage prior to the construction of the sandbag diversion. In September, 1949, the Atlantic Salmon Commission financed the construction of four weirs (low dams in the river to retard the flow and raise the level of the water) designed by the Engi- neering Division, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game. These weirs, constructed in the natural rock gorge lead- ing to the fishway, raised the water level six feet above the previous normal water height on the rock ledges on the west bank and provided for a permanent diversion of water along the west bank. During the period of construction the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company cooperated by maintaining a sufficiently low head be- hind the dam to prevent more than a trickle of water through the Gorge and thereby permitted the construction of the weirs in less than the anticipated time with a great saving in costs. During the first day after the weirs were built twenty-seven salmon were taken at the counting station above the Gorge. Their excellent condition proved that the hazardous conditions of the Gorge had been partially eliminated. This has been further substantiated by the excellent condition of the fish trapped at

4 the head of the Lower Dam fishway in 1950, 1953, and 1954. Continued observations since 1949 indicate that during periods of low water the Gorge is not a difficult passageway for salmon, as the entire flow is normally confined to the diversion channel and the pools of the fishway. During high water periods salmon are presently unable to enter the Gorge.

FIGURE 1. Natural rock gorge beneath the bridge on Route 1 in Machias. Three of the concrete weirs constructed by the Atlantic Salmon Commission to improve the fish passage are visible in the upper right.

Further habitat improvement in the Gorge or the construction of a suitable fishway that would circumvent the Gorge completely would increase the adult salmon survival and subsequent natural reproduction in the Machias River.

The Lower Dam The Lower Dam consists of a series of three dams on the crest of the natural falls above tidal waters at the head of Machias Bay. The north wing of this dam spans the river between a large island and the left bank of the river. Constructed of rock and concrete, the dam's crest height or spillway varies from 2 to 12 feet above the natural ledge foundation and a maximum of approximately 25 feet above tidal water.

5 This left wing contains a diversion canal that supplies water to the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company's Machias turbine. Maxi- mum flow through the turbine is 172 cubic feet per second. Slightly less than 155 cubic feet per second provides a better operating level, and is the quantity of water utilized when possible. The minimum flow, below which the turbines do not oper- ate, is 70 cubic feet per second. The canal is screened by a trash rack at the forebay or upper end. A diversion at the confluence of the main river channel and the waste waters from the turbines would prevent salmon and other species of fish from being attracted into the blind canal below the turbines. The center section of the dam spans the area between the two islands and is a total barrier to upriver migrations. This section is a timber dam consisting of reclining "A" frames erected on ledge or cement bases. The difference between tail water and forebay water levels varies 6 to 12 feet, depending upon water volume. A large fishway, consisting of seven concrete weirs, was constructed in 1936-1937 from the spillway at the extreme right end of the center section of the Lower Dam to a point beneath the concrete bridge (U. S. Route 1) . Later, four additional weirs were erected in the center of the Gorge by the Machias Valley Sportsmen's Club to extend the fishway farther downstream. The failure of these four additional weirs to provide adequate passage at normal water levels was attributed to the excessive jump heights and the small pools. These four weirs were removed or bypassed during the construction undertaken in 1949. The location of the fishway vertically below the spillway of the dam and parallel with the face of the structure permits any overflow to fall directly into the fishway pools. The excessive turbulence created in the pools by an overflow of two inches or more on the spillway is detrimental to salmon migration. Con- ditions to insure normal migration would be improved if the notches, used by the fish in passing the weirs, were altered. The notches could be relocated to the end of the weir farthest from the face of the dam. This would not decrease the turbulence in the pools but would eliminate the extreme turbulence in the notches themselves and increase the range of water levels during which migration through this section of the river would be pos-

6 sible. The Lower Dam fishway passes fish very readily at low and below-normal water levels. The right wing of the Lower Dam is a timber and rock crib structure between the smaller island and the right bank. This narrow section is a total barrier to all upriver migrations of fish at all water levels. Water overflows this wing only at higher- than-normal water discharges.

The Upper Dam The Upper Dam, also known as the Center, Middle, or Har- wood Dam, is less than one-half mile above Lower Dam. The St. Regis Paper Company owned this dam until 1950 when it was purchased by the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company. The Machias Water Company utilizes a portion of the river immediately above the dam as a source of domestic and industrial water in the Town of Machias. The Machias Water Company, through agreement with the Owner, maintains the structure in order to provide a head of water over its intake pipes and water supply lines.

FIGURE 2. Upper Dam showing entrance to fishway. Although eight feet in height on the west bank, the dam has become undermined to some extent on the east bank where it is

7 now approximately five feet in height. During periods of little rainfall, fluctuations in the depth of water below this dam are controlled, in part, by the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company in Machias. The depth varies with the degree of drawdown of the forebay at the hydro-electric installation at the Lower Dam. The owner of a dam is responsible for the construction and maintenance of a suitable fishway. Unfortunately an unused log sluice on the west side of the Upper Dam was partitioned off into seven pools each three feet in length and varying two to six feet in width. Once declared suitable as an alewife passageway, this structure was accepted by the State in lieu of an adequate fishway. This sluice has apparently always been inaccessible to fish in the area below the dam during periods of low water. Neglect and vandalism over a period of years had, by 1949, rendered it completely useless as a passageway. The structure has provided a means of sluicing debris from the surface of the river above the dam to the area below when the height of water decreased below spillway height. Salmon have not been observed near the sluice opening, but apparently await a rise of water to pass the obstruction. The sluice exit, which is lower than spillway level, was in- operative from July 1 through September 21, 1949, because of insufficient water to provide a flow through it. While the water height above the dam did not exceed spillway level, it was sufficient at times to provide a flow in the upstream pools of the sluice ; cracks in the flooring, holes, and rotten timbers soon dis- sipated the flow and little, if any, would reach the entrance. Dur- ing this period the entire river flow passed through the many cracks, loose boards and rotted cribwork of the ancient dam. Bark, chunks of wood, and household debris entering the river at points above the dam were deposited above the dam or passed into the sluice. During this 83-day low-water period in 1949, 120 salmon were released from the counting station at the Lower Dam. Held up by the Upper Dam, the salmon were exposed to predation by man as well as to sewage and oil pollution from the nearby homes, garages, and school for an extended period of time. U. S. Geo- logical Survey flow records taken at Whitneyville during this 83-

8 day period indicate that as high as 234 cubic feet of water per second would be flowing through the Upper Dam while its crest remained dry. The dam is so inefficient as a water-holding structure that at least 150 cubic feet per second flows through and under it. During the eight-day period, October 8-15, 1953, the forebay level was eight inches or more below spillway height. The recorded flows for this period averaged 285 cubic feet per second with a high flow of 350 cubic feet per second on October 10th. These records are an indication of the volume of water that passes through the sieve-like Upper Dam while it acts as a total barrier to salmon migrations. The Machias Water Company provided funds in August, 1953, to purchase sufficient lumber and hardware to permit the staff of the Atlantic Salmon Commission to construct an experimental five-pool wooden fishway on the Upper Dam's east bank. This 'L-shaped' fishway was erected in an abandoned sluiceway, the original floor of which was several feet below the crest of the dam. The four upper pools pass through the main dam structure. The entrance pool is at right angles to the fishway and approximately seven feet below the downstream face of the dam. The sluice on the west bank was closed following completion of the east bank fishway. The construction of this fishway was implemented by the cooperation of the St. Regis Paper Company officials at Whitney- ville. The release and storage, alternately, of water at the Whit- neyville Dam provided periodic work periods during which the flow of water at the Upper Dam was at a minimum and permitted the construction of the fishway without the cost of cofferdams and attendant difficulties. A trap was installed immediately above the exit of the Upper Dam's new fishway on June 18, 1954, in order to determine the efficiency of the fishway design and location. During the study period 484 salmon were released at the Lower Dam counting station. A total of 432 salmon utilized the new fishway to bypass the obstruction. The volume of water during the trapping period was the greatest in many years and might have permitted salmon to swim over the dam. As approximately ninety percent of the salmon released in the river below Upper Dam are known to have passed through the new fishway, the design and location are considered successful. 9 Marked fish released at the Lower Dam and recovered later at the Upper Dam trap indicated that there is considerable time delay between the two fishways. The shortest delay recorded was made by a nine-pound salmon that had been marked prior to planting in 1949 by clipping the dorsal and right ventral fins, a procedure that does not impair the swimming ability of the fish. This salmon was released on July 6 at 11 :30 A.M. at the Lower Dam and was retaken at 6:00 P.M. on July 7 at the Upper Dam. The average delay appears to be approximately four days. Observations show very clearly that salmon are attracted above the entrance of the fishway. The fishway flows at the rate of three to five cubic feet per second and therefore does not have the attraction value of the not less than 150 cubic feet per second flowing under the dam. Observations indicate that salmon are attracted first to the flow in the open spaces under the dam. Dur- ing their trial and error efforts to locate an opening through the dam they enter the fishway entrance. An adequate fishway at this obstruction must be maintained to insure passage of the spawning migration of Atlantic salmon.

FIGURE 3. Whitneyville Dam.

The Whitneyville Dam The Whitneyville Dam five miles above tidal water, is owned by the St. Regis Paper Company. In 1947 this Company con-

10 structed the present pool-type fishway to replace a larger, inade- quate structure that had been neglected beyond repair. The fishway is located on the left, or east, bank of the river. After passing through 10 five-foot square pools the migrating salmon must pass through a 10-foot tunnel before reaching the forebay above the dam. This tunnel, 30 inches in width, has a depth of five feet below the normal water surface of the top of the flashboards of the dam. The fishway exit at the upstream end and on the bottom of this tunnel consists of an orifice 30 inches in width with a maximum depth of 18 inches minus the two inch thickness of a sill placed on the floor across the opening. When the gate stem is raised four inches, the resulting opening on the floor of the tunnel, through which the salmon must pass, is two inches in depth ; the remaining two inches are lost because of the location of the sill that the gate rests against when in a closed position. When the gate is raised to six inches, leaving an actual four-inch orifice, the water entering the fishway should be sufficient to attract fish into the fishway and to permit their ascent, at least to the orifice. A greater opening overflows the pools, causing turbulence and cross currents that confuse the ascending fish.

FIGURE 4.4. Whitneyville Dam fishway and sluices. Fishway recommendations are included in text. A test of the efficiency of the Whitneyville fishway began on July 15, 1954, with the installation of a trap immediately above the exit in the forebay of the dam. Greater than normal water

11 heights and the dubiousness of the salmon's ability to pass through the narrow exit-opening would suggest that few salmon had passed through the fishway prior to trapping. At the time of trap installation, the gate stem was removed and a 12" x 8" orifice was cut into its lower edge. With the gate in place and at the closed position, this orifice would insure an opening of sufficient size (80 square inches) to permit salmon to pass through easily. This opening created a constant flow that could be increased by regulation of the gate stem and prevented the fishway from being shut off completely. Sixty-five, or 12 percent, of the 544 adult salmon released at the Lower Dam in Machias in 1954 were recaptured in the Whit- neyville trap. The failure of the fishway to pass approximately 88 percent of the migration over the dam demonstrates the extreme inefficiency of the fishway. The proximity of the Whitneyville Dam to the St. Regis Paper Company and Machias River Milling Company yards permits personnel of these concerns to make almost continuous observa- tion of the salmon migration at Whitneyville. A bench on the west bank of the river is used by employees and townspeople watching salmon leap at the fall of water over the dam or into the sluice-way on the west bank. The presence of large numbers of salmon near the west bank of the river opposite the fishway, indicates that the main channel and attraction flows are on the west bank. The fishway is on the east bank. Spectators have seen a few salmon leap to the top of the spillway but none have been reported to have jumped the flash-boards erected at the upstream edge of the spillway. It may be that a limited number of salmon pass this barrier during the limited time the flashboards are not in place. Some, too, may pass the open sluice on the west bank when water in the forebay is being released. A few salmon have been found dead in the area below the dam. The inadequacy of the fishway itself may be gained from the 1948 report of Mr. Scott H. Blair, Fishway Engineer, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mr. Blair wrote : "Probably the poorest ladder that was visited on the various Maine rivers was a new ladder at Whitneyville Dam. The entrance was so located that it was rather difficult for fish to pass around a rocky point below the ladder entrance, and the pools were so small that the larger

12 ladder flows caused extreme turbulence in the various ladder pools. The pools of this ladder are only some five feet square, and the bulk of the ladder flow is through the orifices in the weirs." The fishway is not in an acceptable location under the present operation policy of the Whitneyville Dam Owner. Annual stock- piling of pulpwood in the forebay flowage has made it necessary to increase the flashboard height to a level that inundates the fishway structure and prevents the control of water in the fishway. The continuous release of water at the sluice on the west bank is detrimental to the essential attraction flow at the east bank fishway. The Atlantic Salmon Commission has requested modifications designed to increase the efficiency of the Whitneyville fishway. Modifications that are considered to be essential at this barrier include : 1. Fencing the fishway area. A fence would provide protection from unauthorized manipulation of the fishway control system and prevent vandalism. 2. Supplying Overflow-type control of water volume at the fishway exit. This would permit regulation of the fishway flow with changing forebay levels and insure a minimum of turbulence between pools. 3. Increasing the number of fishway pools. Two additional pools would permit extension of the fishway into the river area beyond the influence of the ledges adjacent to the present restricted entrance and would locate the entrance nearer the face of the dam. The Owner of the dam be- lieves that these two additional pools would, by blocking off one sluice, make the problem of water control very difficult. Consequently one additional pool will be added at the foot of the fishway and a large resting pool blasted in the ledge below the fishway along the left bank. 4. Regulating the sluices. Flow attraction on the east bank would be improved. The sluices on the east bank create an attraction flow in the vicinity of the fishway that should insure a greater number of fish at the fishway entrance. The sluice on the west bank, when open, attracts fish away from the vicinity of the fishway on the east bank and

13 should be utilized only in an emergency and for as limited a time as possible. During normal summer operation it would be best to discharge water continuously at the sluices on the east bank. 5. Protecting the fishway from ice and overflow. The timber roof over the fishway pools does not increase the efficiency of the fishway. Protection of the fishway weirs by a barrier to retard ice and excess flows would be more desirable. 6. Regulating and maintaining the fishway. An acceptable fishway must permit the passage of all fishes inhabiting the particular waters affected. The fishway should be maintained in proper repair and regulated by the Owner in a manner to insure the passage of migratory fish.

RIVER INVENTORY The production of Atlantic salmon in any watershed is controlled by the physical and biological characteristics of the watershed that govern the ability to maintain the species at a high population level. The salmon population in the Machias River was at a very low level when studies were begun in 1949. During the summer of 1951 a survey team undertook a detailed physical inventory of the Machias River drainage to determine the extent and availability of suitable spawning areas, location and composition of nursery areas, location and characteristics of natural and man-made obstructions, availability of resting pools, and other physical data affecting the salmon population in the river. The completion of the physical river inventory did not mean that the problems of restoration had been solved. Rather, the detailed information recorded served to point out and emphasize the problems. To the administrators of the salmon program, the inventory provided data on which to justify an intensive restoration effort. The data obtained as the survey crews traversed each yard of stream accessible to either adult or immature salmon are too voluminous to include here, but the most significant findings will be offered in condensed form ; the complete reports are on file and available to interested persons at the Salmon Commission's field office in Machias. 14 Spawning and nursery areas above Whitneyville Dam (Table 1, below) are suitable and we must look for another factor in accounting for the decline in the salmon fishery. While limited spawning rubble areas are known to exist below Whitneyville Dam, the effect of periodic freshets and the river drives following the spring run-off minimizes the nursery value of these areas. Those limited areas have been a factor in maintaining the present small run of Atlantic salmon in the Machias River. Whitney- ville Dam presently prevents the salmon and other migratory fish from reaching suitable spawning areas in sufficient numbers to fully utilize the potential of the watershed. At the present time this barrier is the major limiting factor in the restoration of the Atlantic salmon sport fishery to the Machias River.

Water Control Conservation of water in the Machias River valley has never been seriously considered by the various water users, and it is doubtful if the supply of water in the drainage could reach such a low level that it would not be ample for domestic and industrial needs. Machias River water is used for domestic purposes, for the production of electricity, for fish and wildlife, for recreation, and for transportation of the wood from the long-log and pulp-wood operations on the river. The complete closing of impoundments

TABLE 1. Major spawning and nursery areas in the Machias River as inventoried in 1951. Spawning and nursery River section or tributary inventoried Area in Square Yards Main river, Whitneyville Dam to Third Machias Lake Dam 521,082 Old Stream 55,138 New Stream 17,601 Chain Lakes Stream to First Chain Lake Dam 23,257 Mopang Stream 114,413 Pembroke Stream 5,515 Crooked River 23,102 West Branch Machias River to Sabao Lake Dam 82,067 Kerwin Brook 1,772 Fletcher Brook 1,205 Honeymoon Brook 770

TOTALS, MACHIAS RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES ABOVE WHITNEYVILLE DAM 845,922 MAIN RIVER, MOUTH OF RIVER TO WHITNEYVILLE DAM 13,445 Totals, Machias River and Tributaries 859,367

15 at Sabao Lake, Third and Fourth Machias Lakes, and First Chain Lake often 'dries up' the stream sections below the dams for extended periods of time. Streams require a minimum uniform flow of water to sustain fish and other aquatic life. Low water periods are detrimental to food production in the streams and concentrate fish populations in restricted areas containing limited amounts of food. During summer months lower oxygen levels and higher water temperatures are often lethal to fish populations. Careful impoundment of water during periods of above-normal stream flow would guarantee the minimum flow needed for stream management and assist hydro-electric operation during times of low water. There are no provisions for fish passage or a minimum flow through the dams at Sabao Lake, Third Lake Machias, Fourth Lake Machias, or First Chain Lake.

Pollution The domestic sewage discharged into the fresh water sections of the Machias River is presently in such minor quantities that there is no apparent harmful effect upon aquatic life. Periodic release of oil wastes in the area between the two lower dams is a definite deterrent to salmon migrations. During the release of such oil wastes and for a period of several days following, salmon do not enter the gorge or fishways at the mouth of the river. The dumping of paper wastes and other rubbish at the Lower Dam should be prohibited.

STOCKING EXPERIMENTS

The planting of hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon in the Ma- chias River is a management technique to speed up the natural recovery of the run. Table 2, page 17, contains the available data on known plantings or experiments since December, 1940. The average Atlantic salmon requires a period of five years to complete its life cycle. Salmon that spawned during the fall of 1949 were the parent stock of the majority of the salmon in the run of 1954. Eggs are spawned during the late fall and hatch the following spring. Following the fry stage, young fingerlings

16 TABLE 2. Stocking experiment record for the Machias River, December, 1940 to January 1955.

Average Adults Adults Year of Experiment Total Number Mark Number of Length In Recaptured Recaptured Majority Number* Stocked Marked Used** fish per lb. Inches 1953 1954 Return 39A3-1240 7,000 0 None 160 2" to 3" 1944 40A3-941 20,000 0 None 533.3 1" to 2" 1945 41A1-942 34,000 0 None 465.8 1" to 3" 1946 41A8-543 16,000 0 None 68.4 3" to 5" 1946 42A2-1043 5,000 0 None — 2" to 3" 1947 45A2-547 18,000 0 None 45.0 4" to 5" 1950 45A4-647 14,280 0 None 37.1 4" to 5" 1950 45A7-747 6,532 0 None 19.2 5" to 6" 1950 46A1-548 43,102 0 None 92.3 3" to 4" 1951 47A5-549 7,322 0 None 104.0 3" to 4" 1952 1–/ 48A5-1049 25,002 25,002 D & R 177.3 2" to 3" 1 2 1953 a-4 48A6-1049 24,837 24,837 D & L 152.5 2" to 3" 0 1 1953 48A10-550 17,032 17,032 D & A 66.2 4" to 5" 1 4 1953 49A1-750 100,149 0 None 1121.6 1" to 2" 1954 49A13-1050 29,502 29,502 L & R 185.3 2" to 3" 4 12 1954 49A14-551 19,935 19,935 A & N 72.1 3" to 4" 0 3 1954 50A6-1051 45,708 45,708 N & L 62.5 3" to 4" 0 0 1955 50Al2-552 21,504 21,504 N & R 36.4 4" to 5" 0 0 1955 50A16-1052 1,314 1,314 D & L 10.0 6" to 8" 0 0 1955 52A5-1153 Tunk 43,928 0 None 183.9 2" to 3" 1957

* The first two digits show the year the eggs were taken, followed by a letter indicating species (A, Atlantics), and a number, in chronological order for the lot. The month and year of liberation are given after the hyphen. Thus, 49A13-1050 i ndicates the thirteenth lot of Atlantics to be planted from eggs stripped in 1949 was liberated in October, 1950. " The letters indicate fins removed from the fish for future recognition when they are recaptured. The letters refer to the following fins: A—Adipose fin, D—Dorsal fin, L—Left Ventral fin, 11—Right Ventral fin, N—Anal fin. None indicates fish were not marked. or parr normally spend their first two summers in fresh water, then migrate to sea in the fall after their second summer or in the following spring. At the time of seaward migration young salmon lose their characteristic parr marks and assume a silvery coat characterizing the smolt stage. Smolts are approximately 10 inches in length on going to sea. The quantity of food available during two summers at sea results in tremendous growth. On returning to fresh water during their fifth spring and summer they have attained weights averaging over eight pounds each. Although the majority of the annual run are fish in their fifth year, a small percentage are either grilse that have had only one summer's growth at sea, adults that have spent more than the average two summers in the sea, or adults that have spawned in previous years and are returning to spawn for the second or third time. Three percent of the 1954 Machias River migration was made up of grilse ranging from 11/2 to 6 pounds. Approxi- mately 15 percent of the migration was made up of older fish with weights recorded from 12 to over 30 pounds each. The majority of fish in the run range from 8 to 10 pounds each. Atlantic salmon are not as prolific as many other species of gamefish, but natural reproduction under favorable conditions is certainly adequate to insure self-perpetuation. Stocking of hatchery-reared salmon to augment depleted or barren rivers is an important part of rehabilitating those rivers. An accurate evaluation of stocking success is necessary to take full advantage of this restoration technique. The counting station at the Lower Dam on the Machias River is presently the only source of data that will accurately measure Atlantic salmon stocking success on a major river in Maine. A partial census of the 1953 Machias River migration was made. The 1954 migration was the first migration when marked fish were expected to return and when a complete census of the migration could be made. The data obtained are too meagre to warrant any conclusions, but additional data from the returns of marked fish to the Machias River in 1955 may establish that the returns of hatchery-produced fish obtained in 1953 and 1954 were normal. Information collected over a five-year period at a two-way counting weir at Hobart Stream, Edmunds, Maine, is providing

18 the Salmon Commission with stocking success data on a small watershed. The Hobart Stream weir has been used to date as a means of evaluating stocking success through the migration-to- sea stage. Although a run of mature salmon has been recorded for the 1953 and 1954 brood years, additional data must be obtained prior to the evaluation of these returns. Incomplete experiments on this small stream indicate that the survival to migration or smolt age of Atlantic salmon planted prior to the end of their first summer's growth is nil. Most fishery literature would support our findings.

FIGURE 5. Counting weir on the Atlantic Salmon Commission's experimental salmon stream, Hobart. Studies at Hobart stream (the Salmon Commission's experimental stream) indicate that, when hatchery and rearing costs are taken into consideration, the planting of fingerlings in the fall of their first year is the most efficient of the various age plantings. One hundred and seventy-six adults of the 1949 brood year were removed from the Machias River to obtain fertilized eggs for artificial propagation at the Federal Government's Fish Cul- tural Station, East Orland, Maine. Fifty percent of the progeny of these adults were stocked in the Machias River. Table 2, page

19 17, summarizes stocking experiments in the Machias River for the past 15 years. The results in mature salmon, from the stocking of unmarked advanced fry (Experiment number 49A1-750) could not be de- termined from the data obtained in 1954. The survival of fry plants to maturity on other rivers would indicate that the returns from this stocking would be insignificant. Fish of the same brood year stocked as fall fingerlings (49A13-1050) gave a return of 4 adult salmon for each 10,000 fingerlings stocked ; fish as yearlings (49A14-551) produced 3 adult salmon for each 20,000 yearlings stocked. Hatchery fish contributed a total of 22 marked adult salmon to the 1954 migration. Seven of these adults were from the 1948 brood year experiments. Fifteen were returns from the 1949 brood year experiments. While 88 adult salmon or half of the 176 adults removed from the Machias River in 1949 were used to produce the stock for the hatchery plants only 15 mature marked adults returned during 1954, the year of their normal majority return. This return of 1 mature adult for each 6 taken to the hatchery is a factor that demands further study in the evaluation of the hatchery-stocking program.

While these data are not conclusive, they do suggest that the planting of hatchery-reared salmon in watersheds having a natural run appears to be of limited value. The removal of brood stock from a watershed to provide eggs for subsequent plantings in the same watershed may be detrimental to existing runs. Whenever possible a census should be made of the adult migrations and the naturally-produced young salmon in the various rivers before a stocking program is initiated.

There are many factors that influence stocking success. Limited resources make it difficult to measure these little-under- stood factors. The enumeration and stocking studies on the Ma- chias River and Hobart Stream should be continued and ex- panded as resources permit, to take full advantage of the data obtained in the past few years. That even a relatively small number of salmon return to the rivers in which they are planted is noteworthy. This spawning nucleus is essential to the expan- sion of the runs in depleted rivers.

20 ADULT ENUMERATION

Returning adult salmon are the best evidence of a successful restoration program. The Lower Dam on the Machias River pre- sents an ideal situation where the river's total adult salmon run may be trapped and counted. The upstream end, or exit, at the head of the Lower Dam fishway in Machias has been screened periodically since June 17, 1949 by the installation of a wooden grid to arrest the upstream spawning migration of adult salmon in the uppermost fishway pool. Numerical counts of the total run, number of marked fish returning from stocking experiments, relative size, scale samples, and condition of the salmon entering the river are obtained annually at this counting station. A one-half inch mesh cotton net strung on an alewife dipnet is used to remove the salmon from the counting station pool. Trapped salmon are examined and released upstream. Brood- stock salmon for the hatchery were collected only in 1949 and 1950. Table 3, page 22, lists the number of salmon taken by weekly periods at the counting station during the years 1949, 1950, 1953 and 1954. A study of Table 3 and stocking data (Table 2, page 17) for the Machias River stresses the importance of expanding the enumeration project and, if possible, integrating additional experimental studies such as age and growth, homing instinct, migration patterns, and survival of young of selected brood stock, Data collected to date are for only one complete cycle of the Atlantic salmon's life history. The adults counted in 1949 fur- nished the progeny that formed the majority of the 1954 salmon run. The 186 adults released upstream in 1949 helped produce a run in 1954 of 544 salmon minus 22 marked salmon known to have been stocked from the hatchery. Trapping facilities at Machias and Whitneyville should be improved to permit additional measurements essential to an age- growth study and to insure the complete enumeration of the salmon migration over a minimum period of 10 years. The grid and water control devices could be modified to permit greater control of the water flows in the fishway and trap. The Whitneyville fishway should be trapped in the fishway proper rather than in the forebay above the dam. Opening the sluice gates adjacent to

21 the Whitneyville fishway creates a tremendous pull of water along the upstream face of the dam. This makes it difficult to maintain a trap in position and almost impossible to net the trap when the sluices are in operation. Fortunately these sluices were open during a minimum of the 1954 trapping season.

TABLE 3. Number of Atlantic Salmon trapped in the Machias River at the Lower Dam Counting Station during the 1949, 1950, 1953, and 1954 migration seasons.

Weekly period ending 1949 1950 1953 1954 June 4 x1 x x 2 June 11 x x x 6 June 18 0 9 x 61 June 25 13 27 x 99 July 2 72 21 x 14 July 9 0 12 9 148 July 16 18 10 11 53 July 23 7 3 15 43 July 30 3 8 67 60 August 6 9 14 50 25 August 13 37 6 60 5 August 20 102 17 24 15 August 27 38 17 11 0 September 3 10 8 0 7 September 10 x 2 4 5 September 17 x x 4 1 September 24 41 x 2 0 October 1 8 x 1 0 October 8 4 x 0 0 October 15 x x x 0 Total captured 362 154 258 544 Released upstream 186 85 258 544 xi Indicates the flshway trap was not in operation during the period.

REGULATIONS

Fishing regulations, as a management tool, are absolutely essential to the Atlantic salmon restoration program. Present stocks of adult salmon must be protected by wise and equitable regulations. The high value of the Atlantic salmon sport fishery is well known. The depletion of our present small runs through commercial fishing could defeat the entire restoration program. The present limits to the taking of salmon other than by angling in the Machias River should be maintained. The present bag limit of two salmon per day may be adequate protection against depletion under the present fishing pressure ;

22 however, sportsmen might well consider the advisability of de- creasing the bag limit until such time as the runs are fully established. The presence of other desirable species of fish in the watershed renders the enforcement of 'fly fishing only' regulations prac- tically impossible. These other species of fish should be har- vested. The act of using angling equipment illegally (jigging) cannot be controlled through discrimination against various types of angling equipment. Anglers should be permitted to angle with any desired type of equipment that does not require illegal fishing procedures.

SPORT FISHERY

Visible presence of Atlantic salmon in the tidal pool at the mouth of the Machias River during the summer of 1954 intensified interest in the fishery to the extent that fishermen were not only drawn to the tidal pool but to many of the pools between Machias and Whitneyville as well. The Machias River has known very limited salmon sport fishing. The few residents who angled for salmon prior to 1954 confined their efforts to the river areas below the Upper Dam on the first half-mile of fresh water. Fish- ermen, during the past season, reported the presence of salmon in numerous sections of the river both above and below Whitney- ville Dam. The pools on the Machias River, unlike the bank fishing on the Narraguagus and Dennys Rivers, are most readily fished from a boat or canoe. This need for additional equipment may account for the lack of sufficient fishing pressure to produce an annual catch comparable with other salmon rivers in eastern Maine. Approximately three percent of the total spawning migration in 1954 was taken by anglers. The present level of sport fishing intensity has only a minor effect upon the adult salmon population. It is impossible to fish for trout in waters containing young salmon and not take young salmon of illegal length in large num-

23 hers. The loss of parr and smolt through hooking mortality is sufficient to warrant consideration. Posters illustrating the dif- ferences between parr and smolt salmon and brook trout have been posted on many sections of the river in which the two species may be found. These posters are a medium of informing the sportsmen of the distinguishing characteristics between the two species of fish. The excellent cooperation of sportsmen has made it unnecessary to close salmon nursery areas to other types of fishing to protect the young salmon stocks.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The potential of the Atlantic salmon fishery on the Machias River is tremendous. Extensive spawning and nursery areas in the forested headwaters of the river are augmented by an adequate supply of clean water essential to the successful migration of parr, smolt, and adult salmon. Restoration of this resource is, unfortunately, retarded by obstructions. The following recommendations are designed to better utilize the hundreds of miles of water area in the Machias River drainage in developing the valuable Machias River salmon fishery. 1. The Gorge—Atlantic salmon pass through the Gorge without difficulty during low water periods. Additional habitat improvement to insure passage at all water levels should be provided. 2. Lower Dam—The Lower Dam fishway passes salmon readily at low and below-normal water levels. Minor alter- ations in the design of this fishway would insure the passage of migrants during spring run-off or abnormal summer flows. 3. Upper Dam—Atlantic salmon pass this barrier by migrating through the fishway on the left bank or by swimming over the dam at high water levels. The great majority of fish utilize the fishway. A trash rack above the exit of the fishway would prevent destruction of the weirs and reduce owner-maintenance costs. 4. Whitneyville Dam—The Whitneyville Dam is presently the most serious obstacle to salmon restoration in the Machias

24 River. Modifications to the fishway, efficient operation and maintenance, and sluice regulation are necessary if At- lantic salmon are to utilize the potential of the vast area above Whitneyville Dam. 5. Water Control Dams—Water impoundments should be managed to provide minimum fluctuation of water levels. Minimum flow guarantees should be established throughout the Machias River drainage. 6. Pollution—The Machias is presently one of the cleanest of our large rivers. Care should be taken to maintain this high water quality. Disregard of these recommendations will prevent the full re- alization of salmon restoration in the Machias River.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The writer wishes to express his appreciation to the many people who assisted in these studies. Thanks are due to Roger Au- Clair, Walter Bissett, Floyd Bryant, Kenneth Cole, Richard Cut- ting, Warden Colon Feeney, Virgil Gardner, Fred Grindle, Lewis Hurxthall, James Mason, Richard Mawhinney, Byron McPheters, Harrison Ripley, Dr. George A. Rounsefell, and James L. Sennett. The writer is greatly indebted to Dr. W. Harry Everhart, Chief Fishery Research and Management Division, State of Maine, and Fishery Biologist Jack Watson for suggestions in the organ- ization and preparation of the manuscript.