I grew up in Maine, near Portland and the gorgeous coast bordering the Atlantic Ocean. My mother is a forest ecologist and my father an angling author and Maine fly-fishing guide, so it comes as no surprise that I am passionate about Maine’s environment. In fact, my very first summer internship was with the Natural Read More
Kennebec River
My Maine This Week: Kennebec River by Sam Horine
“I took this photo of the Kennebec River in Skowhegan early last Sunday morning right before the rain started for the day.” —Photo by NRCM member Sam Horine of Skowhegan, Maine
A Kennebec for the Generations
Fifteen years ago, the efforts of the passionate souls at the Natural Resources Council of Maine resulted in the removal of the Edwards Dam in Augusta. I didn’t work here then but I’m quite certain that, just as it is today, the culture here was one of steadfast resolve to protect the nature of Maine. Read More
Kennebec River Rebounds After Edwards Dam Removal
by Danielle Waugh WCSH-6 TV news story AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — It’s been 15 years since the removal of the Edwards Dam, and the water and wildlife of the Kennebec River has changed dramatically. On July 1, 1999, the 900-foot dam breached, restoring a free-flowing Kennebec River for the first time in 160 years. Read More
15th Anniversary of Edwards Dam Removal: Benefits to People and Wildlife Keep Flowing
Record-breaking numbers of alewives, eagles News Release Alewives return to Kennebec (chart) C-SPAN story about Edwards Dam, including interview with NRCM’s Pete Didisheim Brief history timeline of Edwards Dam More about the Edwards Dam removal and Kennebec River restoration The health of the Kennebec River is making great strides just fifteen years after the breach Read More
Citizen Leaders Stand Up to Protect Maine’s Precious Natural Heritage
For the Kennebec River, Bald Mountain and South Portland, three people are making a real difference. By Lisa Pohlmann Portland Press Herald op-ed AUGUSTA — This winter, I took my 8-year-old grandson out for an afternoon adventure in the snow-covered woods. We followed deer tracks, talked about the wood duck boxes in the marsh and Read More
My Maine This Week: Sam Horine
“A recent rain had put a hard crust on the snow that made skiing and snowshoeing hard to do, so I bet my wife, Patricia, that I could ride a bike on the river. I did, but wouldn’t recommend it.” – Photo courtesy of NRCM member Sam Horine of Skowhegan, Maine.
Reclaiming Rivers
By Henry Heyburn Jr., former NRCM board member In July of 1999, I attended the breaching of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River. There were hundreds of others in attendance including Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer John McPhee, author of Coming Into the Country, The Survival of the Birch Read More
Creature Feature: Rainbow Smelt
Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax Cool Fact: Smelt have been fished commercially since the 19th century, with most being landed in Maine waters. One of the great rites of winter in Maine is renting a shack in a smelt camp on the Kennebec River and fishing for smelt through the ice. Warmed by the wood stove Read More
