The Waterville City Council this week endorsed a proposed amendment to the Maine Department of Marine Resources plan for the protection and restoration of the Atlantic salmon run that happens in Maine’s great rivers, particularly in the Kennebec. This endorsement is a recognition that the expert opinion of the state’s own fishery managers and marine biologist is just one important piece in a complex conversation around this issue.

During a discussion of the amendment at the council meeting on Feb. 16, councilors, myself included, asked the state biologist questions about the health of the salmon fishery and the current restoration efforts. The short answer: This globally iconic species is profoundly endangered with wild U.S. populations on the verge of extinction.

Wild populations are crucial to maintain the necessary genetic diversity for the continued resilience of the species that aquaculture cannot provide. Current efforts to restore the biologically essential migration up the Kennebec to the historic spawning grounds in the Sandy River are not working. Four hydroelectric dams between the ocean and the Sandy River stand in the way. These are all “run of river” dams meaning that their sole purpose is the generation of hydroelectricity and not regulation of the flow of the river.

Two of these, the Lockwood Dam and the nearby Hydro-Kennebec Dam upstream are here in Waterville. The amendment to the state’s proposal based upon the expert opinion of the state’s own fisheries managers and biologists is this: short of dam removal or other seemingly drastic measures the outlook for this majestic animal is exceedingly grim. Currently it is estimated that only a handful of these fish are able to complete their life cycle along their historic run, a number not nearly enough to ensure the survival of this species in its greatest historic spawning grounds. The state biologist estimated that the historic run of this fish in the Kennebec was in excess of 100,000 individual fish, all roughly the size of your leg. Think about that.

Brookfield Renewable, a Canadian-owned energy company, is clearly concerned about the implications of the amendment. For more than 20 years Brookfield and the previous owners of these dams have made woefully inadequate progress in living up to agreements related to the restoration of this fishery. Now that this proposed amendment calling for dam removal has been put forward by the Department of Marine Resources, Brookfield, in its eagerness to avoid that possibility, is proposing to build a fish ladder over Ticonic falls, the historic fishing grounds for the Canabas Abenaki and arguably the most breathtaking natural formation in the area.

The engineers and experts from the Department of Marine Resources have deemed the proposed fish ladder unlikely to be able to pass significant numbers of the fish due to its short-run steep ascent and the formation of vortices along the ladder. This opinion has been proven in numerous instances across the state and country where engineered fish passage has not achieved the intended results. There are no examples of Atlantic salmon (or American shad) migration successfully passing more than one dam anywhere on earth. This is a fact inherent to the recommendations put forth by the state fisheries experts. There have been voices calling for a technological solution, but that solution is called a free-flowing river, or something as closely approximating that as possible. The bottleneck here is the fundamental biology of the fish.

I strongly support renewable energy, including hydroelectric, and creative solutions to the problem posed by the imminent extinction of the Atlantic salmon. However, I also highly value science and the expert opinion of the Maine state fisheries managers. I oppose the implementation of a potentially ineffectual half measure by Brookfield, especially if it renders irreparable damage to the underappreciated diamond in the rough that is Ticonic Falls.

The Atlantic salmon is one of the world’s great fish species and its survival is to an extent in our hands right here in Waterville. If dam removal is what is necessary to save the Atlantic salmon then I support that. It is a challenging and long process, but if done correctly it could be a dramatic part of the rebirth of Waterville already happening in other ways. Before any action in this regard, there must be a process of discussion and consideration over many years.

Let me emphasize that dam removal is not in question here at the moment, however. Endorsement of the proposal amendment is. The city’s endorsement of the expert opinion from the Department of Marine Resources is in no way a binding measure. It simply states that the city recognizes the opinion from the state and will take its recommendations under advisement as a data point in a complex issue involving numerous stakeholders at some future point if the issue arises.

What is needed is a clearly articulated vision for the future of the Waterville waterfront, not an expensive and potentially destructive half-measure the city may come to regret. Endorsing the proposed amendment and deeply considering what that vision is seems like the correct path forward in our stewardship over the physical and living landscape that we call home.

Thomas Klepach represents Ward 3 on the Waterville City Council.

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