U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Penobscot River Restoration Project Redesigning A River

The Penobscot River, New England’s second largest river system, once flowed freely for more than 100 miles from Maine’s North Woods to the sea. Over two centuries, more than 100 dams were built that crippled its course, obstructing the migratory paths of sea-run fish like Atlantic salmon, shad, eels and alewives and diminishing the water’s health and food for wildlife upstream.

More than 10 years ago, federal and state agencies, the Penobscot Indian Nation, conservation groups, towns River Restoration Trust Bridget Besaw/Penobscot and dam owners decided to work Veazie Dam on the Penobscot River together to revive the river, building a tremendous partnership and a grand Creatively conserving our resources n Tribal Landowner Incentive plan. The removals of Great Works The Penobscot River Restoration Program, managed by the Service Dam in 2012 and Veazie Dam in 2013 Project provides a creative solution for projects restoring at-risk species, marked the first major steps in the that balances how we use water - for granted close to $1 million to the restoration of the river. Along with nature and fisheries, and for energy Penobscot Indian Nation to help other fish passage work, including and business. Considered the largest implement the FERC settlement a new fish lift and manmade river river restoration project north of the agreement and conduct critical bypassing the Howland Dam, the effort Everglades and east of the Mississippi, scientific, political, and community will reconnect nearly 1,000 miles of it began when the hydropower assessments, including sediment, habitat in this river basin totaling 8,570 company PPL Corporation approached archaeological, and engineering square miles. the Service and others to explore an analysis of proper dam removal. innovative and comprehensive solution The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to a number of issues surrounding n Gulf of Maine Coastal and has worked closely with the Penobscot hydropower relicensing, fish passage, Partners Programs provided the River Restoration Trust to reconfigure and the health of the Penobscot. project with the first federal funding the lower Penobscot to provide through the Maine Atlantic Salmon enduring benefits for fish, wildlife, The Service’s Hydropower Program, Conservation Fund. The programs and the people of Maine. Energy with the Federal Energy Regulatory have focused on reconnecting key production will be maintained through Commission (FERC) and the Trust, spawning tributaries and ponds improvements to other dams upriver. pursued a strategy to redesign the to newly accessible reaches of the Projections based on the Service’s 2010 use of the river to provide enduring main stem. Since 2007, the Coastal fisheries economic report indicate that benefits for people and nature. The Program has helped survey stream the reconnection of the river’s waters resulting 2004 settlement with FERC crossings and prioritize fish passage will bring more than $500 million in solidified this vision of rebalancing projects. They have provided funding benefits to the local economy. The hydropower and sea-run fisheries. and technical assistance to implement entire project, from the purchase of the fish passage projects at additional dams by the Trust to the monitoring The Service has invested dams and road crossings throughout of wildlife benefits, is estimated to approximately $10 million toward the the Penobscot River watershed. cost $63 million; funding is through project. Below are examples of the Cumulatively, these projects have private donors, non-governmental many ways in which Service offices helped open up access to thousands organizations, and federal and state and programs have collaborated and of acres of ponds and lakes, and agencies. leveraged funding to make this large- reconnect hundreds of miles of scale project successful. streams. n National Fish Passage Program, originate from salmon reared at federal, state, and tribal agencies, which provides financial and technical Green Lake National Fish Hatchery. conservation groups, industry, and local assistance to reconnect aquatic communities. habitats, has invested more than n Wildlife and Sport Fish $4.4 million in funds and supported Restoration and the Gulf of Maine The efforts of partners and the large landscape project through Coastal programs have provided communities to revive the Penobscot implementation. nearly $3.5 million to the State of River will bring wide-ranging and Maine under the National Coastal long-lasting benefits to Maine. A n Maine Ecological Services Field Wetlands Grant and Landowner revived Penobscot means a chance for Office has ensured that measures Incentive programs. recovered Atlantic salmon, historic are taken to avoid, minimize, or migration and presence of other fish compensate for the impacts on fish Relinking the Penobscot’s web upstream, much-needed jobs in the and wildlife from dams along the of wildlife area, and cultural resources important Penobscot River. Their biologists Maine’s largest watershed provides to the Penobscot Indians. Ultimately, a helped develop ways to get migratory a critical connection between fresh revived Penobscot will offer Americans fish up, over, around, and through water and the sea. Removing dams the opportunity to again experience the remaining barriers on the Penobscot and improving structures to pass fish inextricable links with this great river. to aid their migratory movements. upstream of other dams will reconnect the river and help restore the natural The Penobscot River Restoration n Fish Passage Engineering, a processes and benefits to the river and Project will allow Atlantic salmon and cadre of engineers with expertise surrounding areas. 10 other species of fish to naturally in fisheries, hydropower, hydrology, make their annual migrations river hydraulics, and stream The web of benefits starts by renewed upstream to the Penobscot Indian connectivity, has provided consulting levels of insects needed by forage Nation. Recovery of Atlantic salmon and technical assistance for federal fish like American eel, sea lamprey, would renew opportunities for the programs and external partners rainbow smelt, shad, alewives, striped Nation to exercise its rights for throughout the country. A vital bass and tomcod; these, in turn, attract sustenance fishing. component of the Northeast Region’s kingfishers, fish-eating ducks, herons, Fish and Aquatic Conservation eagles, ospreys, and river otters. “Today is a day that will be program, this team has supported remembered as a most significant the Great Works and Veazie dam One species particularly critical to the event in reuniting our long-lost removals as well as the design of the project is endangered Atlantic salmon. fisheries resources with their historic nature-like bypass at Howland. Historically, the Penobscot River homeland. Bringing back these lost supported Maine’s largest populations relatives continues the restoration n Maine Fisheries Program Complex of Atlantic salmon, with annual runs of ancient natural cycles of creation manages staff, budgets and facilities prior to 1830 estimated at 50,000 to in a river we have been connected to for two federal fish hatcheries and a 70,000 adults. Today, the Penobscot for thousands of years and makes us fisheries resource office focused on River represents the best chance who we are as a people.” Chief Kirk the recovery of Atlantic salmon in for restoring wild Atlantic salmon in Francis, Penobscot Indian Nation the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population the United States. The project is an Segment. The complex provides essential step for successful restoration outreach and education through of salmon. Restoring the Penobscot River is its visitor center and to 32 schools among 100 projects nationwide as part of its Salmon in Schools Ten other sea-run fish, such as highlighted as part of President program. American eel, sea lamprey, sturgeon, Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors tomcod, smelt and striped bass, will initiative to establish an agenda n Maine Fishery Resources Office also benefit and again have access to for 21st-century conservation and provides fisheries expertise on a wide hundreds of miles of their historic recreation – reconnecting Americans variety of issues within the Penobscot spawning and rearing grounds. to the outdoors. This project River basin, and is engaged in represents one of the best investments a partnership with the Maine Delivering a complete solution in the nation to support a healthy, Department of Inland Fisheries and While sustaining water-based active population, conserve wildlife Wildlife and the Penobscot Indian environments, the nation’s miles and working lands, and create travel, Nation to curtail the spread of exotics of rivers and streams also provide tourism and outdoor-recreation jobs within the basin. drinking water, fuel the economy, and across the country offer opportunities for recreation and n Craig Brook and Green Lake enjoyment. Their health is critical not National Fish Hatcheries play only to fisheries, but to social, cultural U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service an integral role in preserving the and economic traditions. 1 800/344 WILD genetic integrity of the Penobscot http://www.fws.gov Atlantic salmon population. The The Penobscot River Restoration adult salmon used by Craig Brook as Project will provide certainty for June 2016 broodstock lead to annual releases the future health of the river and its of about 2.5 million juvenile Atlantic fisheries, as well as security in the salmon. More than 90 percent of business of energy generation. The adult returns to the Penobscot River collaboration has been hailed as a model for other projects involving