Dams and Fish

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Dams and Fish Understanding our impounded legacy in the Penobscot River Joseph Zydlewski [email protected] Many to acknowledge… Berlynna Heres Lisa Izzo George Maynard Alejandro Molina-Moctezuma Daniel Stich Dan Weaver Kevin Job Andrew O’Malley Betsy Barber Anadromous fish populations declines over the past two centuries Four great threats to ecosystems David Wilcove 2007 No Way Home Habitat destruction Overexploitation Climate Change Human created obstacles Migratory Animals Migration NURSERY ADULT FEEDING Corridor Dam Construction History • 1830-1835:1830-1835: Old Town/ Veazie wing dams • 1876: Bangor Waterworks (rkm 43) • 1887: Great Works Dam (rkm 60) • 1912: Milford Dam (rkm 62) • 1913: Veazie Dam (rkm 48) Veazie Historical Society Veazie Historical Society Dam removals in Maine 1995 1999 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 Bangor Dam Edwards Dam Fort Halifax Dam Winterport Dam Great Works Dam Veazie Dam Penobscot River Kennebec River Sebasticook River Marsh Stream Penobscot River Penobscot River Mill and Meadow Dams Sedgeunkedunk Stream Connectivity on the Penobscot River West Enfield Howland Penobscot River Restoration Project Removal of Great Works Dam (2012) & Veazie Dam (2013) Gillman Falls Milford No survival estimates for Stillwater Great Works American eels on Penobscot River Orono Veazie Shortnose sturgeon Fall 2015 upstream movements Detections of tag # 21266 River Km Milford Dam former Great Works Dam former Veazie Dam Date Alewife and Blueback herring River Herring Alewife returns to Milford Dam Atlantic salmon Release & Recapture Great Works Dam Remnants Stillwater Confluence Veazie Dam Remnants Radio Tagging of Adult Salmon Delays at Milford Dam 2015 Milford Dam Passage & Delays 2002 – 2004 (Pre-PRRP) • PIT study by D. Gorsky • Milford fishway = Denil 2014 – 2015 (Post-PRRP) • Current radio telemetry study • Milford fishway = Fish Lift Impact of Dams on Survival -Surgical implantation of acoustic tag in Atlantic salmon smolt Atlantic salmon smolt losses at dams in the Penobscot River Sometimes rides are not gentle Descaling injuries 420 400 380 360 340 320 Descale Control 300 Plasma Osmolality - mOsmols/kg - Osmolality Plasma 0 2 4 6 8 Days since descaling Poor tolerance to seawater Movement Rates (Weldon release) W. ENFIELD MILFORD DAM DAM 125 100 75 50 25 Movement Rate (km/day) Rate Movement 0 FRESHWATER ESTUARY HATCHERY WILD Survival Depends on Previous Experience Passed three dams Passed no dams 1.00 0.99 0.98 0.97 Apparrent Survival Apparrent 0.96 0.00 Free Flowing Reach Howland Dam Estuary survival depends on number of dams passed American shad American shad prevented from migration in Penobscot River DIDSON observations at Veazie Dam Only a few dozen American shad passed the Veazie Dam in decades DIDSON Observations at Veazie Dam: Atlantic Salmon American shad American shad captures at Milford Dam 8000 6000 4000 Captures 2000 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 Loss of older age classes ? American eel Migratory Behavior Days Direct impacts of turbines 4 3 1 Survival Estimates Per Kilometer Downstream Dam Impacts Sea lamprey.

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Penobscot Rivershed with Licensed Dischargers and Critical Salmon
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Environmental Benefits of Dam Removal
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Critical Habitat
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Penobscot River 2007 Data Report July 2008
Penobscot River 2007 Data Report July 2008 Prepared by Donald Albert, P. E. Bureau of Land and Water Quality Division of Environmental Assessment DEPLW-0882 Table of Contents Introduction ...........................................................................................................................1 Technical Design of Study ....................................................................................................1 Hydrologic Data ....................................................................................................................4 Ambient Chemical Data ........................................................................................................4 -DO, Temperature and Salinity .............................................................................................5 -Ultimate BOD ......................................................................................................................8 -Phosphorus Series ................................................................................................................11 -Nitrogen Series.....................................................................................................................13 -Chlorophyll-a .......................................................................................................................15 -Secchi disk transparency......................................................................................................17 Effluent Chemical Data .........................................................................................................18
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Alternatives Evaluation Report: Penobscot River Phase III
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Black Bear Hydro Partners, LLC Orono Project (FERC No. 2710)
November 12, 2020 Orono Project (FERC No. 2710) Stillwater Project (FERC No. 2712) Ms. Shannon Ames, Executive Director Low Impact Hydropower Institute 329 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 2 Lexington, MA 02420 Subject: Low Impact Hydropower Institute Application for the Orono Project (FERC No. 2710) and Stillwater Project (FERC No. 2712) Dear Ms. Ames: On behalf of Black Bear Hydro Partners, LLC, Black Bear Development Holdings, LLC, and Black Bear SO, LLC (collectively, “Black Bear”), owners and licensees of the Orono and Stillwater Hydroelectric Projects (“Projects”) (FERC Nos. 2710 and 2712, respectively) and affiliates of Brookfield Renewable, please find attached a revised application for recertification of the Projects, which are located on the Stillwater Branch of the Penobscot River in Maine. Black Bear is requesting recertification of these facilities, which are currently certified through November 30, 2020 per LIHI correspondence dated June 1, 2020. Black Bear submitted an initial certification application to the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) on July 6, 2020. LIHI completed the initial Intake Review on August 5, 2020. The current application includes the following required submittals as revised in response to the LIHI Intake Review: • Introduction • Project Description and LIHI Table B-1 • Zones of Effect descriptions and overview maps and images • Matrix of Alternative Standards for each Zone of Effect identified evaluating the LIHI certification standards for each requisite criterion, including water quality, fish passage and recreation • Sworn Statement and Waiver Form • Facility Contacts Form including pertinent NGOs, as appropriate. • List of hyperlinks and supplemental documentation for pertinent FERC and regulatory documents for the Projects Please call me at (207) 755-5606 or email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or need additional information regarding this submittal.
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Stillwater Recertification Attachments 2015
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Penobscot River Restoration Great Works & Veazie Dam Removals Sedgeunkedunk Steam Restoration
Sponsored by Ecological Landscaping Association Society for Ecological Restoration - New England Chapter Penobscot River Restoration Great Works & Veazie Dam Removals Sedgeunkedunk Steam Restoration Thursday, August 8, 2013 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM $35.00 ELA & SER Members - $40 Non-Member The Penobscot River Restoration Project (Penobscot Project) is an unprecedented collaborative effort that will rebalance fisheries restoration with hydropower production in the largest watershed within Maine and result in the ecological restoration on the Penobscot River. Major partners in the project include hydropower companies; federal, state, and tribal governments; the Penobscot River Restoration Trust (Penobscot Trust); and conservation groups. After several years and considerable work, the Penobscot Trust purchased three dams from the PPL Corporation (the hydropower company) in order to remove the two most seaward dams—Great Works and Veazie and to pursue a fish bypass around the Howland dam. As part of the arrangement, PPL Corporation received approval to increase generation at six existing dams and will improve fish passage at four additional dams. The largest river in Maine, the Penobscot River and its tributaries flow from near Mount Katahdin in the North Woods through the heart of Maine to Penobscot Bay. As a model for cooperative conservation, the Penobscot Project provides numerous benefits while maintaining hydropower generation. The Penobscot Project: Provides access to habitat for Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeon as well as striped bass. Improves access to nearly 1,000 miles of habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon and other species. Restores ecological functions to benefit native plant and animals in the river, estuary, and Gulf of Maine.
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Visit to Former Mill Site in Veazie
Contents: Visit Veazie Mill Site 1, Spring Trail Day 2, Elections 3, Visit Veazie Properties 3, Nature Clip 4, Spring Trail Day 4, Special Volunteers 5, Board- walk 5, Welcome Bill and Molly 6, Great blue Heron 6, OLT Buys Tractor 7, Business Sponsors 7, Calen- dar 8. Serving Orono and surrounding Communities www.oronolandtrust.org Vol 112 June 2016 Visit to former Mill Site in Veazie On May 22, 2016, folks gathered at the former Veazie Dam site to listen to Laura Rose Day, Director of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust, speak about the amazing transformation of the area. The dam has been removed along with all buildings. The Town of Veazie is being of- fered the area as a recreation park. Laura spoke about the return of several fish species includ- ing alewives, shad and salmon. Along with the fish returning, birds such as eagles, ospreys and hawks are right behind. This site, with the lowered river, reveals the boon area for the former large logging companies. There used to be 30 or so saw mills between Orono, Veazie and Ban- gor. Laura told people that the power generation from the Orono dams on the Stillwater River in Orono and Stillwater are producing more energy than the removed dams at Veazie, Bangor, Great Works and Howland together. The gift of land from the Trust to the Town of Veazie is cur- rently in it’s final stages. This is a beautiful sight with significant water frontage. (Con’t pg 3) Gail White and Dave Wardrop Laura Rose Day describes the transformation at the former Veazie Mill site.
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Maine Revised Statutes 38 §467
Presented below are water quality standards that are in effect for Clean Water Act purposes. EPA is posting these standards as a convenience to users and has made a reasonable effort to assure their accuracy. Additionally, EPA has made a reasonable effort to identify parts of the standards that are not approved, disapproved, or are otherwise not in effect for Clean Water Act purposes. Maine Revised Statutes 38 §467 Maine Revised Statutes Title 38: WATERS AND NAVIGATION Chapter 3: PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF WATERS Subchapter 1: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BOARD Article 4-A: WATER CLASSIFICATION PROGRAM §467. Classification of major river basins All surface waters lying within the boundaries of the State that are in river basins having a drainage area greater than 100 square miles that are not classified as lakes or ponds are classified in this section. [1989, c. 764, §2 (AMD).] 1. Androscoggin River Basin. A. Androscoggin River, main stem, including all impoundments. (1) From the Maine-New Hampshire boundary to its confluence with the Ellis River - Class B. (2) From its confluence with the Ellis River to a line formed by the extension of the Bath-Brunswick boundary across Merrymeeting Bay in a northwesterly direction - Class C. [1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §40 (AFF); 1989, c. 890, Pt. B, §68 (AMD); MRSA T. 38, §467, sub-§1, ¶ A (AMD).] B. Little Androscoggin River Drainage. (1) Little Androscoggin River, main stem. (a) From the outlet of Bryant Pond to the Maine Central Railroad bridge in South Paris - Class A. (b) From the Maine Central Railroad bridge in South Paris to its confluence with the Androscoggin River - Class C.
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MAINE HISTORIC ENGINEERING RECORD FORMER CITY MILLS DAM MHER No. 44 Location
MAINE HISTORIC ENGINEERING RECORD FORMER CITY MILLS DAM MHER No. 44 Location: The former City Mills Dam is located within what had been the impoundment of the modern Veazie Dam on the Penobscot River, in the Village of Veazie, Penobscot County, Maine. Quad: Veazie, Maine UTM: N: 4964554 E: 523613. Zone 19 Date of Construction: 1835 ca. Present Owner: Penobscot River Restoration Trust Present Use: Submerged ruins Significance: The former City Mills Dam, located within what had been the impoundment of the modern Veazie Dam, was built in the mid-1830s to provide water for an early sawmill complex on the Penobscot River. This mill and dam complex, which contained several blocks of sawmills, was built as a wing dam that extended upriver and out from the west bank of the river. A spillway then extended from the upstream end of the wing dam to the east bank of the river, which impounded water for the sawmills while allowing logs to float to other mills downstream of Veazie. Samuel Veazie, one of Bangor’s wealthiest and most influential business men, bought the mill in the 1840s and soon relocated near the dam in the town that now bears his name. This dam served its original purpose, to provide power for lumber mills, until the 1880s, when it was purchased by investors for use as an early hydroelectric plant. The remains of the dam and spillway are significant for their association with Samuel Veazie, the early development of the timber milling industry on the Penobscot River, the shift in the use of water power from lumber production to hydroelectric power, and as an example of early dam construction technology.
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