Historic Presence of Alewives in China Lake's Outlet

FALL 2017 THE NEWSLETTER OF MAINE RIVERS Historic Presence of Alewives in China Lake’s Outlet Stream Reconfirmed River restoration is not an undertaking for the faint of heart—it takes patience, energy and perseverance. Count on considerable planning, analysis, discussion, fund raising, strategizing and coordination. And if you’ve taken on a dam removal, more often than not there’s some level of controversy which may include skepticism or outright disbelief about the historic presence of sea-run fish. We encountered this while working to restore native alewives to the St. Croix, and the same questions have come up for the Mousam, Royal and most recently for Outlet Stream, where Maine Rivers is leading a large and complex effort to restore passage to China Lake. Documents recently found in Massachusetts Archives have shed light on the early history of Original letters and petitions relating to Outlet Stream China Lake’s Outlet Stream, reconfirming the in the Massachusetts Archive historic presence of native alewives. Petitions and letters, signed and dated from 1798 and powered industries to flourish. As was typical 1799, state that alewives were known to make for the colonial period, smaller waterways like their way up the stream to China Lake, but the Outlet Stream were harnessed for power first presence of sawmills and grist mills prevented because their flows were easier to control. Later, the migratory fish from completing their journey as the technology advanced, dams were built on to spawning areas. The letters and petitions were larger rivers, like the former Edwards Dam on the written requesting that the Outlet Stream be Kennebec River, first built in 1837. exempted from fish passage laws to allow water- continued on page 2 www.mainerivers.org 1 Alewives continued from page 1 Letters and petitions formerly the fish called Alewives (only) used to from residents pass up said stream but for more than ten years along Outlet Stream None have been seen to pass up said stream...” were submitted in The letters and petitions were successful and response to fish resulted in the passage of a law titled, “An passage laws enacted Act Exempting Mile Stream in the Towns of in Massachusetts Vassalborough, Winslow and Harlem from the requiring dam Operations of All Laws Regulating the Salmon owners to provide Shad and Alewife Fisheries in Said Towns.” This fish passage, due act sealed the fate of the stream for more than Many thanks to summer intern to local concerns 200 years, as numerous mills and factories were Eve Boyce whose research in the about the declining located along its banks and little attention paid to Massachusetts Archive made this populations of discovery possible. its ecological health or fisheries. migratory fish, The documents found in the Massachusetts notably salmon, shad and alewives. In 1797, Archives, together with archeological evidence just one year before the residents along Outlet from a recent excavation at the Cates Farm at Stream sent in their letters and petitions, a law the head of Outlet Stream, confirm the historic was passed requiring fish passage in Cumberland presence of alewives. Work is underway now to and Lincoln Counties. Maine was then a part of restore a run of alewives to China Lake via the Massachusetts; records from this period can be Outlet Stream, as part of the Alewife Restoration found in Massachusetts State Archives in Boston. Initiative. Partners are working to remove One letter written by Stacy Blish in January 1799 states: obsolete dams and install fish passage at the six “Stacy Blish of Vassalborough in the County dams that currently block native fish. of Lincoln of lawfull age testify and say that Restoration of alewives, also known as river I have lived near a Stream called Mile brook herring, offers significant ecological benefits which empties itself into Sebasticook river for to freshwater and marine ecosystems. They are eighteen years last past that before any mills thought to be a critical key to restoring ground were built on said Stream Alewives used to pass fish in the Gulf of Maine and may offer water up said Stream into a pond out of which it flows quality benefits to lakes and ponds experiencing but no Salmon or Shad ever frequented it and algae blooms. Maine’s experience restoring for fifteen years last past since mills have been alewives has been remarkably successful. With the erected on it no alewives have been known to removal of the nearby Edwards and Fort Halifax pass up into the pond.” Dams, alewife populations have been able to Another petition signed by forty individuals noted, reach historic spawning grounds. This spring, just “the carrying on and Improvements of those Mills as spring 2015, more than 3.5 million fish were Are the principle if not the only means upon which counted passing Benton Falls. a large number of respectable and industrious A version of this article ran in the Town Line. We citizens depend on for acquiring property... That thank Doug Watts for his earlier research. 2 www.mainerivers.org Image courtesy of Cheryl Daigle Penobscot River Comes Alive by Laura Rose Day This spring, just 5 years after hoe-rams began River renewal is not just for fish. In 2017, the to remove the Great Works dam from the lower “new” river played a growing role in people’s lives. Penobscot River, the Howland fish bypass celebrated Free-flowing waters attracted paddlers to explore its first full year of full operation. Combined with “new” river stretches that had been buried and removal of the Veazie Dam in 2013, the Penobscot blocked by dams. With an abundance of lakes River Restoration Project is complete. and ponds nearby, rapids offered new paddling With vastly improved access to about 2000 opportunities. Paddlers of all ages and from across miles of Penobscot waterways, Atlantic salmon, the nation participated in the third successful year American eels, alewives, and American shad now of the American Canoe Association Penobscot freely swim upstream and down, reconnecting National Whitewater Nationals Regatta. The inland waters and the ocean. They swim well race again drew hundreds of paddlers, from high beyond Howland to the upper reaches of the school racers to octogenarians. The Penobscot Mattawaumkaeg and to the Mattaceunk dam. Nation’s Bashebez Race invited all to join in a That’s more than 90 miles above the former Veazie celebration of the interconnections among the dam site. tribe, culture and the river. American shad continue to increase with more One neighbor, who boldly asserts that she doesn’t than 8,000 counted this year; some 625 Atlantic really like fish and has lived riverside in Veazie for salmon swam toward important newly open decades, puts it this way: “I love the new river.” She habitat. River herring runs burgeoned again, now watches the racers and other paddlers and boats several million strong, providing food for birds pass by; she appreciates the changing sounds and and mammals, camouflaging young salmon from look of the river. And that is no fish story. predators, and, when smoked, feeding people To learn more of the story of the Penobscot at the Leonard Mills Logging Museum Alewife Project, including from Maine Rivers board festival. 600,000 river herring swam up Blackman members John Banks and Laura Rose Day, catch Stream alone, reclaiming their role in the history A River Runs Through It by Phil Conkling in the of the museum and thrilling schoolchildren. October issue of Maine Magazine. www.mainerivers.org 3 Show Me Your River! Alicia Pulsifer Heyburn bicycled a thousand miles along the Rhine River this summer through six countries, from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea near After an amazing life and five decades of Amsterdam. She shared her enthusiasm for river environmental advocacy, Bill Townsend restoration and healthy habitat for migrating fish wrote an excellent account of his life. To read more about her adventures and answer the To get your copy, email us at question, “What do a migrating salmon and a cycle [email protected] tourist have in common?” go to mainerivers.org. Finally a Free Flowing Section after 200 Years, the Masse Dam Was Removed from Outlet Stream in September. 4 www.mainerivers.org Clean Water Rule The comment Presumpscot Memorial to period for Phase I of the Clean Water Rule has closed. A total of 719,355 Honor Chief Polin comments were submitted to the record. EPA must For over 25 years the Friends of the Presumpscot now review all these comments, a timeline for that River has led efforts improve the health of what work is not clear yet. It is clear however that good was an ignored and terribly challenged waterway. policy based on real science will continue to be Flowing from Sebago Lake to meet Casco Bay just under attack. Maine Rivers will continue to work north of Portland, the river’s industrial history with our allies to engage and respond. included times when it was considered dead, with no measurable oxygen. Efforts by the Friends (including long-time Maine Rivers board member Dusti Faucher) have helped create a new future for the river by stopping new industrial discharges and upgrading water quality classifications. Their efforts also included a successful legal defense that went all the way to the Supreme Court for a decision that ultimately supported restoring life to the river. The Friends are now looking to honor the roots of their effort by creating a bronze and granite memorial along the Conant Trail in Westbrook just above Saccarappa Falls. The memorial will Celebrating success- Frank Siviski and Dan Hill lend a hand be a place of contemplation and quiet, honoring removing invasive plants.

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