Atlantic salmon federation will be working with partners to remove two dams in the sandy river watershed- located in maines merrymeeting BAY salmon habitat recovery unit

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service, under the National Fish Passage Program (CFDA# 15.685), provides $1,264,500 in funding to the Atlantic Salmon Federation Inc. for the removal of two dams in Maine's Merrymeeting Bay Salmon Habitat Recovery Unit.

The primary components of the project are:

1. Removal of the Mercer Dam on Little Norridgewock Stream in Chesterville, which is owned by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. This will fully restore fish passage while maintaining current water levels to preserve waterfowl habitat.
2. Removal of the Lemon Stream Dam, a privately-owned, non-operational hydroelectric facility in Starks. This will eliminate the unnatural hydraulic control at the site.
3. Construction of a nature-like fishway structure at the natural hydraulic check on Little Norridgewock Stream to facilitate fish passage.

The awarded funds will cover the costs of dam demolition ($500,000), fishway construction ($630,000), engineering ($85,000), and permitting ($45,000). The Atlantic Salmon Federation is collaborating with the non-profit organization Maine Rivers on the Lemon Stream Dam removal portion of the project. The grant agreement runs through December 31, 2029.

Mercer DAM is on little norridgewock stream in chesterville (franklin county) and is owned by the maine department of inland fisheries and wildlife. The dilapidated partially breached mercer DAM will be removed, but current water levels will be maintained to preserve waterfowl production in the 1,340 acre chesterville state wildlife management area. A low head ( 18 inches) nature-like fishway structure will be constructed at the streams natural hydraulic check to fully restore fish passage and fluvial processeslemon stream DAM is located in starks (somerset county) and is a privately owned federal energy regulatory commission hydro facility (ferc exemption #8791) that has not produced any electricity for decades. Lemon stream DAM will require the ferc exception permit to be surrendered. Upon surrender, the DAM will be completely removed fully eliminating unnatural hydraulic control at the site.funding from the services national fish passage program bipartisan infrastructure law ($630,000) will be utilized for fishway construction (mercer DAM) and demolition of both dams ($500,000) as well as engineering ($85,000) and permitting costs ($45,000). This grant agreement will run through DEC 31, 2029.