Yesterday marked the start of a new beginning on the Penobscot River in Maine.
Dozens gathered in Bradley and on Indian Island to watch demolition begin on the Great Works Dam. It is a project that many groups have been working towards for more then a decade.
The Penobscot River Restoration Trust bought the dam and two others back in 2010. The organization is made up the Penobscot Indian Nation, the Atlantic Salmon Federation and others. They are removing the dam to promote spawning rates for sea run fish like alewives and atlantic salmon.
Supports expect getting rid of the blockade to boost levels for 11 species of fish. The $62 million project is getting help from private donors as well as the U.S. Department of Interior. Department Secretary Ken Salarzar was on hand for the demolition and he says he expects it will do wonders for Maine’s environment and the many businesses that depend on the river.
“I think there are ways that we can restore iconic species like we are doing here with the Atlantic salmon,” he said, “and at the same time allow the economics of rivers to go forward.”
Read more here, or view the video below:
