Operational Plan for the Restoration of Diadromous Fishes to the ...

A boat electrofishing survey (Yoder 2004) showed that Kennebec River between
Augusta and Waterville/Winslow, which was restored to free-running state by the
removal of Edwards Dam, was significantly more productive than the upstream
impoundments. Because no sampling was conducted when Edwards Dam was in
place, it is not possible to attribute the increased productivity to dam removal and
river restoration. The longer timetable of the Penobscot Project has allowed similar
electrofishing surveys to be conducted prior to the removal of Veazie and Great
Works dams (Yoder 2005; NOAA 2008). These surveys will form the baseline for an
annual survey to assess changes in the relative abundance and composition of the
fish community.
6.1.8 Use computer model to prioritize remaining lakes to be stocked.
DMR has prioritized the lakes into three phases. Within these phases, lakes will be
prioritized by lake size, trophic status, distance from the ocean, number of
downstream hydropower dams, number of downstream nonhydropower dams, and
feasibility 12 . The USFWS barrier model may be appropriate for this analysis. The
barrier model has the advantage of incorporating the most recent barrier surveys as
they are completed.
6.2.1 Restore populations to 18-22 historical lakes 3 approximately every 16
years by stocking six adult alewives per acre in remaining ponds using fish
captured at Milford.
When returns to Phase 1 lakes are greater than 35 adults per acre, the excess fish
can be used as broodstock to restore runs to remaining historical habitat. Adult
alewives will be captured at Milford fishlift and trucked to upstream habitat.
7.1 Restore approximately 633,300 American shad in 41-50 years by stocking
12 million fry annually for 41-45 years above Milford Dam, Howland Dam,
and/or West Enfield Dam.
American shad are extirpated above Veazie, because passage on the mainstem
dams was not available for 130 years and the current fishway, installed in 1970, is
ineffective at passing them. The size of the remnant shad population that inhabits
the waters below Veazie Dam is unknown, although DMR has estimated it to be
about 1000 adults, similar to the size of remnant populations on the Saco River
(ME), Susquehanna River (PA, MD, NY), James River (VA), and St. John River
(Canada). To date, no state or federal agencies or academic institutions have
conducted or proposed to conduct a mark-recapture study that would be needed to
obtain a population estimate.
12 These are potential factors to be considered, and are not listed in order of priority.
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