Spending USD 10 million on wild salmon restoration
Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed the agency will direct the funding to the project.
"The plan to restore the Penobscot River is a collaboration that engages communities and enhances the region's economy, culture, and environment while reviving the Atlantic salmon," US Senator Olympia Snowe said, according to a press release from the project. The NOAA funding will be used to purchase three dams (Veazie, Great Works, and Howland), begin the engineering and design phase of the project, and allow the Penobscot River Restoration Trust to move toward implementation. The project will help restore native fisheries by markedly improving access to nearly 1.600 kilometers of key habitat for Atlantic salmon, endangered shortnose sturgeon, American shad, and 8 other species of sea-run fish that once supported a vibrant Penobscot River. Some people call the Penobscot River Project a national model for fisheries habitat restoration. The effort to restore the Penobscot is viewed as critically important to Maine's economy and quality of life.
Picture:
Howland Dam, one of the three dams to be purchased, decommissioned, or if necessary removed. It was constructed in 1910's of concrete and is 170 meters long and about 5.7 meters of head. It currently generates 1.8 megawatts of electricity.
