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Crooked River Dam Proposal Stirs Controversy Over Landlocked Salmon Spawning Grounds

February 20, 2008 - HARRISON - A fascinating environmental battle is heating up in Maine, or more specifically, at Scribner's Mill on the Crooked River, a major landlocked salmon tributary to Sebago Lake.

A group called the Scribner's Mill Preservation, Inc. wants to build a dam on the Crooked to create an impoundment for a 19th century-style, water-powered sawmill to use as a seasonal working museum and learning center, which at first glance seems like a grand idea. However, the dam would make an impoundment of nearly 11 acres that would stretch upstream 1.1 miles.

More importantly, it could also reduce or eliminate 80 percent of this river's spawning habitat, which produces 20 percent to 70 percent of Sebago's wild salmon. The key phrase in the last sentence is "could reduce."

Scribner's Mills Preservation, Inc. wants to build a rock ramp into part of the dam to allow upstream migration of salmon, but of course, one fact often gets left out of fish-way plans. No matter how good the fish-way, it always blocks part of the salmon's upstream migration.

The exact percentage of the wild population generated from this river depends on Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's stocking numbers each year. Naturally, the more salmon released into Sebago, the less the percentage of salmon that are wild. Predictably, both the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Trout Unlimited, a group with less than 1,500 members in Maine, have lined up to fight the proposal.

The "fascinating" part of the debate is this point: Unlike many environmental battles, no evil entrepreneurs in black hats are fighting against the good guys in white hats. Both sides have righteous arguments. Not to diminish the importance of saving the Crooked River salmon runs, but this fight can be summed up in a few words - working historians vs. environmentalists. In short, there are no clear-cut bad guys to receive the brunt of the anger.

In the end, I suspect two major points will be written over and over: 1- The rock-ramp fish-way will be Scribner's Mill Preservation, Inc.s proverbial ace in the hole to get the dam approved because, allegedly, this style dam is efficient for upstream migration. 2- Inland fishing in Maine generates over $500 million annually, and Sebago, one of the original four homes of landlocked salmon, ranks as one of Maine's major salmon fisheries.

Do we want to gamble on the rock-ramp fish-way working adequately? Folks interested one way or the other about the proposed dam can call Dana Murch at the Department of Environmental Protection (287-7784) or e-mail dana.p.murch@maine.gov and give comments.

SOURCE: MORNING SENTINEL

DATE: 02-02-2008


Lakes: Sebago Lake
Regions: Sebago


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