129,000 Fish Now have Access to Branch Pond
Just in time for the spring spawning season…the new Branch Pond Fishway is officially OPEN for fishy business! Led by our Sheepscot River Watershed Manager, Melissa Cote, this project was a great collaboration with other conservation partners that will open up 325 acres of habitat to an expected 129,000 fish...AND provide better flood protection, a new dry-hydrant, and carry-boat access for the community. A quadruple bottom-line project!
Combined with the Head Tide Dam project, the Coopers Mills dam removal, and others over the years, Midcoast Conservancy and project partners have now reconnected nearly 80 miles of free-flowing river to the ocean, and improved sea-run fish access to 875 acres of pond habitat. This work is important for the ecological health of the river ecosystems, important for recreation, and important to sustaining the biomass and ecological balance of our oceans and fisheries.
As an indicator of the complexity of these projects and the value of collaboration (and also a testament to Melissa's determination to see this through) here is the list of project partners for the Branch Pond Fishway:
The Maine Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Midcoast Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Maine, Branch Pond Association, Town of China, Town of Palermo, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maine Department of Marine Resources, NOAA Restoration Center, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Cascade Foundation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project was made possible through the support and funding from all of the partners including grants through the American Recovery Plan Act, National Water Quality Initiative, New England Forest and Rivers Fund, and the National Fish Passage Program. The project engineering was completed by Kleinschmidt Associates and the construction was completed by SumCo Eco-contracting.
If you want to see the fishway in action, it is located at 142 Branch Mills Road in China, or better yet, come to the dedication ceremony and celebrate "World Fish Migration Day" with us at 9:30 AM on Saturday, May 25! (The event is free, but registration is appreciated.)
Congrats to Melissa and all project partners for helping us protect and restore the Sheepscot River.
