Kennebec River Resource Management Plan Maine State Planning Office
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Maine State Library Maine State Documents State Planning Office State Documents 2-1993 Kennebec River Resource Management Plan Maine State Planning Office Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalmaine.com/spo_docs Recommended Citation Maine State Planning Office, "Kennebec River Resource Management Plan" (1993). State Planning Office. Paper 78. http://digitalmaine.com/spo_docs/78 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the State Documents at Maine State Documents. It has been accepted for inclusion in State Planning Office by an authorized administrator of Maine State Documents. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 07-105 Chapter 1 07 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 105 STATE PLANNING OFFICE Chapter 1: KENNEBEC RIVER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN: BALANCING HYDROPOWER GENERATION AND OTHER USES TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1 Purposes of the Kennebec River Resource Management Plan........................... 1 Geographic Scope of the Plan .................................................... 2 Dams UndergoingRelicensing by FERC ............................................ 2 Socioeconomic Characteristics and Historical Context................................ 4 History of Hydropower Regulation in Maine ........................................ 8 ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THEKENNEBEC RIVER BASIN ........... 10 Physical Description of theKennebec River and Watershed ........................... 10 Fish and Wildlife Habitat........................................................ 11 Nontidal Mainstem Waters .................................................... 11 Tributaries ................................................................. 15 Tidal Waters ............................................................... 25 Water Quality .............................................................. 29 HYDROPOWER REGULATION .................................................. 31 Role of the Federal Government in Hydropower Regulation........................... 31 The FERC Consultation Process ................................................. 32 The Role of State Government ................................................... 33 Relative Cost of Relicensing Activities ............................................ 34 Summaries of Status of Projects UndergoingRelicensing ............................. 35 RESOURCES AND BENEFICIAL USES ........................................... 44 Hydropower Generation ........................................................ 44 Existing Facilities............................................................ 44 Hydropower Potential. ....................................................... 48 Recommendations ........................................................... 48 Flows ....................................................................... 50 Reservoir Levels and Flow Regime............................................. 50 Water Management Regime.................................................. 51 1 07-105 Chapter 1 Flood Damage Reduction..................................................... 52 Recommendations. .......................................................... 53 Water Quality ................................................................ 54 Recommendations. .......................................................... 54 Fisheries ..................................................................... 55 Anadromous Fisheries ....................................................... 55 Inland Fisheries .............................................................111 Recommendations. ..........................................................126 Recreational and Scenic Resources ...............................................129 Recreation and Access Opportunities............................................129 Commercial Rafting .........................................................138 Recommendations ...........................................................141 Archaeology ..................................................................142 Archaeological and Historic Resources..........................................142 Archaeological Impacts and Mitigation..........................................150 Recommendations ...........................................................151 MUNICIPAL PLANNING ........................................................152 Shoreland Zoning .............................................................152 Municipal Planning from Harris Dam to Augusta....................................152 CRITERIA FOR STATE AGENCY DECISION-MAKING .............................156 Maine Rivers Policy: Special Protection for Outstanding River Segments................157 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................158 Hydropower ..................................................................158 Flows .......................................................................158 Water Quality ................................................................159 Fisheries .....................................................................159 Recreational and Scenic Resources ...............................................160 Archaeology ..................................................................161 APPENDICES ..................................................................162 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...............................................................192 TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 -- Dams in the Kennebec River Basin Subject to Relicensing; All Licenses set to Expire in 1993 ......................................................................... 3 Table 2 -- Hydropower Licenses Reissued Prior to 1989................................. 3 Table 3 -- Kennebec River - Principal Tributaries ..................................... 11 Table 4 -- Summary of Field Observations on the Roach River, July 1971.................. 17 Table 5 -- Drainage Areas of theKennebec River and its Tributaries ...................... 26 07-105 Chapter 1 Table 6 -- Area (acres) of Tidal Riverine Subsystems and Classes in the Kennebec/Sheepscot Rivers Estuarial Complex ....................................................... 27 Table 7 -- Area (acres) of Estuarine Subsystems and Classes in the Kennebec/Sheepscot Rivers Estuarial Complex ............................................................. 29 Table 8 -- Breakdown of Relicensing Expenses ........................................ 35 Table 9 -- Available Reservoir Storage,Kennebec River Basin aboveBingham, Maine ........ 45 Table 10 -- Kennebec River Basin Generating Facilities and Storage Dams 47 Table 11 -- Developed Head of theKennebec River .................................... 48 Table 12 -- Species not Found in DMR Surveys but Found in nearby Sheepscot River and Suspected to be Found in the LowerKennebec River ................................ 57 Table 13 -- Generalized Life History Summary ofAnadromous Fish Species in Maine ........ 63 Table 14 -- Historical Shad Production per 100 yds of Mean Low Water Surface Area in the Lower Kennebec River and its Tributaries ......................................... 88 Table 15 -- Commercial Yield of Alewives per acre of Spawning Habitat for Selected Maine Watersheds based on Landings from 1971-1983 ..................................... 88 Table 16 -- Potential Alewife Production in theKennebec River above Augusta ............. 89 Table 17 -- Potential Alewife Production in the Kennebec River and its Tributaries below the Augusta Dam ................................................................. 90 Table 18 -- Surface Area (ft) between theEdwards Dam and Ticonic Falls ................. 92 Table 19 -- Estimated Total Area of Current and Former Rapids aboveEdwards Dam ........ 93 Table 20 -- Impact of Edwards Dam on Rapids ........................................ 93 Table 21 -- Projected Smelt Production aboveEdwards Dam with Dam Removed ........... 95 Table 22 -- Impact of Edwards Dam on Downstream Fish Passage........................ 99 Table 23 -- Fisheries Productivity and Hydropower Potential in the Kennebec Basin in Relation to the Status of Edwards Dam ...................................................101 Table 24 -- Schedule for Completion of Fish Passage Facilities...........................108 Table 25 -- Summary of Adult Alewives Stocked above Augusta.........................109 Table 26 -- Summary of Adult Shad Stocked above Augusta ............................109 Table 27 -- Adult Salmon Passed above the Augusta Dam...............................110 Table 28 -- Major Gamefish Species of the LowerKennebec River ........................113 Table 29 -- Kennebec River Brown Trout Management Plan Mainstem: Weston Dam to Edwards Dam in Augusta ...............................................................114 Table 30 -- Summary of Sport Fishery Statistics Obtained from Angler Diaries and Creel Survey Boxes, Lower Kennebec River, 1990 .............................................115 Table 31 -- Kennebec River Brown Trout Management Plan Special Management Section: Shawmut Dam in Fairfield to the Route 95 Bridge inFairfield ........................ 116 Table 32 -- Summary of Angler Catch and Effort Statistics from Voluntary Angler Reports Summer of 1984 ..............................................................118 Table 33 -- Numbers of CommercialWhitewater Rafting Passengers by Year,Kennebec River ..... 140 Table 34 -- Passenger Trend on the Dead River by Year ................................141