WESTBROOK – Recently there has been a lot of conversation about a Westbrook River Park at Saccarappa Falls (May 17 American Journal). This would allow downstream water passage and a recreational feature for canoeists and kayakers. It would have the potential of enhancing the core of Westbrook and engaging people with a beautiful and historic river, also drawing people to the city.

The Presumpscot, named by the Abenaki people who lived along its banks, means the place of many falls. The river was once abundant with waterfalls, rapids, and was teeming with river herring, shad, blueback, sturgeon and fresh and sea-run salmon. As such, its fishery was a vital resource for those who lived along its banks and fished Casco Bay. Over the last 250 years, our industrial damming has destroyed its natural beauty of swift-flowing waters and the access for sea-run fish.

The Friends of the Presumpscot River (FOPR) has been the most dominant advocates for the revitalization of this river for two decades. As an organization, FOPR has taken on, with the utmost seriousness, the role of river stewards and have advocated for clean waters, fisheries and recreational opportunities.

Being substantially cleaner, the river’s greatest challenge now, is the dams. In 1997, FOPR filed as interveners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions (FERC) re-licensing process of multiple dams from Saccarappa to Dundee. This was a process that took many years of work by many people. It demanded countless legal hours, enormous scientific research and testimony, as well as a commitment of years of organizing and advocacy. In the process, FOPR was joined by American Rivers, Maine Rivers, Trout Unlimited, state and federal resource agencies and many public supporters and organizations.

We shared a common resolve to restore this wonderful but burdened river. FOPR initially sought dam removal of the three smaller downstream dams. FERC declined to order removal but did demand fish passage for river herring alewives, shad and salmon.

After numerous legal challenges and appeals, the five dams were re-licensed in 2003, with provisions for fish passage at each dam. The licenses and the water quality certification were challenged all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the order in a ruling that effected rivers across the country. However, these FERC licenses were contingent on fish passage at Cumberland Mills dam. This was a state-licensed dam and so another process had to be undertaken. After years of discussion and planning ,an agreement was developed to remove the Cumberland Mills dam altogether. Once again, with much legal work and advocacy, the state required, in a precedent-setting decision, Sappi to build fish passage at CM. After nearly a year of negotiations Sappi, FOPR and state agencies settled on a design. Fish passage at CM will be operational by 2013 and the FERC license requires passage to be operational at Saccarappa by 2015. It has been a long a challenging road; but once again the Presumpscot will have a sea-run fishery, which it has not seen for the past 250 years.

These many hard-won victories for the river is what has enabled the vision for the River Park idea to emerge. FOPR strongly believes in the importance of connecting people with the river and have long advocated that the Presumpscot is an under-acknowledged asset to Westbrook. FOPR wants to express our support for the vision put forward by Rob Mitchell and those seeking the Westbrook River Park. We offered a similar vision many years ago. Any initiative in this process cannot open the possibility of reversing the gains made on behalf of the river and its fishery. FOPR will only support a proposal that, as a baseline, meets or exceeds the requirements of the FERC licenses. This calls for among other things, highly effective fish passage and a facility to observe and count how many fish pass upriver, which will trigger fish passage construction at upstream dams.

The results that fish passage will achieve, having a healthy sea-run fish population for fishing, wildlife, river ecology and human enjoyment, was brought about by a determined struggle on the part of many people. To not conform to the FERC license runs the risk of reversing what has taken over 15 years to accomplish. We believe there are ways to allow for both a downstream passage for kayaks and upstream passage for fish in a way that falls within the requirements of the FERC order. FOPR is supportive of the concept and would be interested in designs that assure both increased recreational paddling and the a vibrant sea-run fishery in Westbrook and in the towns that border the Presumpscot upriver, as well.

Michael Shaughnessy is president of the Friends of the Presumpscot River.

Copy the Story Link