Aroostook River Salmon Restoration and Fisheries Management By KENDALL WARNER Regional Fishery Biologist Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game Roland H. Cobb, Commissioner and Atlantic Salmon Commission Horace P. Bond, Chairman Augusta, Maine 1 9 5 6 FOREWORD A State-wide biological study of lakes, rivers, and streams is in progress. Its purpose is to obtain facts that will help your Fish and Game Department and Atlantic Salmon Commission maintain and re- store the fisheries of our waters. As these studies are completed, they are presented to the citizens of our State. Every effort has been made to consider all interests before the man- agement of any water area is published in final form. Part of this effort is the public meeting at which representatives of industry and sports- men's groups are invited to take part in the program by discussing plans and recommendations. This report is a condensation of the study pre- sented at the public meeting held in Presque Isle on March 15, 1956. KENDALL WARNER Regional Fishery Biologist Augusta, May, 1956 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page FOREWORD ........................................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAINAGE ........................................ 5 AROOSTOOK RIVER FISHERIES .............................................. 6 Resident Species .......6 Anadromous Species .......9 Atlantic Salmon Runs .......9 History of Past Runs .......9 Recent Runs ........................................................................ 11 OBSTRUCTIONS ............................................................................... 12 The Aroostook Falls Obstruction .............................................. 13 The Tinker Fishway ........................................................... 14 The Aroostook Falls Fish Passage Problem .................... 14 Evaluation of Proposed Fish Passage Facilities ........... 17 Protection for Downstream Migrants ............................... 18 The Tinker Weir ................................................................ 18 Beechwood Dam ........................................................................ 19 Caribou Dam ............................................................................... 19 Sheridan Dam ............................................................................. 20 Tributary Obstructions ................................................................ 20 ATLANTIC SALMON POTENTIAL ............................................ 30 The Main River .......................................................................... 30 Tributary Streams ...................................................................... 31 Water Control in Tributary Streams ....................................... 37 Atlantic Salmon Stocking ........................................................... 37 EFFECTS OF LOGGING PRACTICES ON THE FISHERIES OF THE AROOSTOOK DRAINAGE ....................................... 39 Bulldozing of Streams ............................................................... 39 History ................................................................................. 39 Effects on Trout Stream Habitat ..................................... 40 Bulldozing Versus Manual Clearing of Streams ............. 42 Effects of Cutting Practices ....................................................... 42 Fluctuation of Water Levels ..................................................... 43 Fluctuation of Stream Flow .............................................. 43 Lake Flowages .................................................................... 44 Lowering Lake Levels ....................................................... 44 POLLUTION ..................................................................................... 45 PROPOSED POWER DEVELOPMENTS ..................................... 51 The Castle Hill Project ................................................................ 51 The Masardis Project .................................................................. 51 The Twelve-mile Project ........................................................... 51 SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 52 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................... 55 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................. 56 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................... 57 APPENDIX I ..................................................................................... 58 APPENDIX II ..................................................................................... 64 AROOSTOOK RIVER SALMON RESTORATION AND FISH MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION The Aroostook River is potentially one of the best Atlantic salmon rivers in Maine. A substantial salmon run once existed in the river, but in recent years the run has declined almost to extinction. The brook trout sport fishery of the Aroostook drainage is still of considerable size and value, even though Man's serious alteration of natural habitat conditions has reduced the potential of the fishery. Realization of the full productive potential of the river and its tributaries is presently pre- vented by several major obstacles. These are: 1. Obstructions to fish migration 2. Detrimental logging practices 3. Fluctuation of stream flow 4. Pollution An obstruction and biological study of the entire Aroostook drainage has been in progress for several years. This study was designed pri- marily to: 1. Evaluate the potential of the drainage for supporting a run of anadromous salmon, catalog limiting factors, and recommend steps necessary to re-establish the run. 2. Evaluate major factors limiting brook trout production in the river and its tributaries, and recommend steps to improve exist- ing conditions and prevent future decline in the fishery. A summary of the study and the resulting recommendations are in- cluded in this report. A map of the Aroostook River drainage is pre- sented for reference on pages 34 and 35. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAINAGE The Aroostook River, a major sub-drainage of the St. John River system, arises in Millinocket Lake and Munsungan Lake in Northern Piscataquis County, and flows in a northeasterly direction through Aroostook and Northern Penobscot Counties. Many small brooks and a number of larger tributaries enter along its course. The river flows into Canada at Fort Fairfield and joins the St. John River four miles beyond the international boundary. 5 The Aroostook River drains approximately 2,440 square miles. The largest part of the drainage is forested land, but much of the eastern portion is open farm land. Moderate erosion is common in the eastern part of the basin. The annual rainfall at Presque Isle averages about 34 inches. According to the Gold Book (1955), the Aroostook basin is under- lain mostly by folded and faulted Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian slates, shales, sandstones, argillites, and limestones. Much of the in- tensively farmed land in the eastern section of the basin contains cal- careous shale in varying amounts. The main Aroostook River measures 105 miles in length from the forks of Munsungan and Milfinocket Streams to its mouth. Approxi- mately 1,632 miles of tributary stream enter along its course. The river falls about 250 feet at a fairly uniform slope in its length above Fort Fairfield. There are 156 lakes and ponds draining into the Aroostook River. The largest lake in the drainage is Squapan with an area of 5,120 acres. Other large lakes include Millinocket Lake (2,701 acres), Munsungan Lake (1,415 acres), and Milfimagassett Lake (1,410 acres). AROOSTOOK RIVER FISHERIES The Aroostook River drainage is capable of supporting fisheries for both resident stream and lake fishes, and for anadromous fishes that must ascend the river from the sea to spawn and complete their life histories. The two groups are considered separately below. Resident Species The Aroostook River drainage is noted for its coldwater sport fish- eries for brook trout, lake trout, and landlocked salmon. Brook trout are found in nearly every brook, stream, and pond in the drainage. The brook trout fishery is holding up exceptionally well in some areas, but habitat conditions have been so drastically altered in some streams by pollution, erosion, or logging practices that the species has nearly disappeared. The main river and almost every tributary of significant size contain brook trout at some season of the year. The early spring fishery of the headwater section of the main river and its tributaries is particularly attractive to anglers. At this time, trout are widely dispersed and ac- tively feeding in the cool water. As the main-stream temperatures 6 become warmer during late spring and summer, trout congregate in spring holes, at mouths of brooks, and in the cold tributary brooks themselves. Thus, the trout-producing capacity of the main-stream sections of the drainage may well depend in part on the carrying ca- pacity of these areas of spring influence during the critical period of hot weather. Reduced overwintering capacity, caused by low water, pollu- tion, or ice conditions may be a limiting factor in some instances. Limited sport fisheries for other game fish also exist in the river and its tributaries, even though the major fishery is for brook trout. The river supports a small resident population