PICTURED IS THE restored fish ladder that is located at the Nequasset Dam in Woolwich, which will accommodate the migration of alewives to spawn in Nequasset Lake.
The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust celebrated the success of the Nequasset Fish Ladder Project and the Sewall Pond Alewife Restoration Project with the community at the annual membership meeting Tuesday, highlighting a successful year for the organization.
Carrie Kinne, KELT’s executive director for six years, said both projects were in progress for three or four years before being completed in the fall.
Video documentation of both project developments were shared Tuesday.
Becky Kolak, KELT’s education coordinator, noted that the two projects addressed fish passage restoration, but were diverse in approach.
“Both allow these fish to migrate, but are completely separate structures,” said Kolak. “It’s a nice introduction to this type of work because it’s not a one-sizefits all solution to the problem.”
In 2011, the Bath Water District, which owns and maintains the Nequasset Dam in Woolwich, approached KELT for help to restore a fish ladder that was constructed in the 1950s and in great need of repair.
With Alicia Heyburn serving as project manager, the fish ladder was successfully repaired, making it possible for the annual migration of alewives, amadromous fish, to spawn in Nequasset Lake.
The culvert that was restored through the Sewall Pond Alewife Restoration Project in Arrowsic was also designed to help both alewives and other creatures reach waters at Sewall Pond.
KELT partnered with the Arrowsic Conservation Commission and worked with leaders Karen Robbins and Erin Witham to replace the culvert on Route 127 that leads to Sewall Pond, allowing more alewives to enter the waters.
In the past, the pond has reflected high levels of phosphorus, and according to research, alewives will help to better balance these nutrient levels in ponds.
The culvert is also uniquely designed, as it accommodates a passage for both animals and aquatic creatures, making it “one of the first wildlife crossings constructed for wildlife beyond fish in the state of Maine,” according to Sandra Lary, the senior fish and wildlife biologist for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Services.
Overall, Kinne was satisfied with the outcome of the projects and the overall growth of the organization.
“As a land trust, we are really pleased and proud to be a partner in this type of work. It’s significant work and each project had a multitude of partners all across the board,” said Kinne. “It was really great to see both of these projects get started and completed in a short period of time.”
Having completed more than 800 culvert surveys as a part of project development, Kinne said they hope to pursue more of this work in the future: “It’s just the beginning for us.”
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