A river is brought to life again The Economist news story Here’s to eco-tourism. The Penobscot river takes its name from the Penobscot nation, the American-Indian tribe whose ancestral lands lie along its banks. It is the largest river in Maine and the second-largest in New England. For thousands of years the tribe lived along, Read More
Waters
Clean, healthy waterways are vital to our day-to-day lives. They help ensure safe drinking water, suitable habitat for fish and other wildlife, and recreational opportunities that make Maine a special place to live, work, and visit. NRCM has been working on clean water issues since we were founded in 1959 to protect the Allagash.
NRCM continues to advocate for clean and healthy waters across Maine. Read more news & blogs about our work to protect Maine's beautiful rivers, lakes, and streams.
Saving a River, and Its Species
New York Times editorial On Monday morning, wrecking crews began demolishing the 1,000-foot-long Great Works Dam in Bradley, Me., the first step in a multiyear effort to restore ancient fish runs on the Penobscot River. This is a very welcome development for the environment and a tribute to the willing collaboration of many players, public Read More
Hat Trick On The Penobscot River: Fewer Dams, Same Energy, More Fish
by David Ferris Forbes.com news story Today, steel rams will start to break apart an old hydroelectric dam on Maine’s longest river, ushering in a restoration project that will keep the electricity flowing while rehabilitating some of the state’s most damaged and valuable fisheries, like herring and Atlantic salmon. The dam destruction on the Penobscot Read More
Crews Begin Removing Great Works Dam; Kenneth Salazar Calls Effort ‘Milestone for River Conservation’
By Nick McCrea, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story BRADLEY, Maine — Workers began removing the Great Works dam late Monday morning, part of a historic effort to open nearly 1,000 miles of habitat to 11 species of fish that haven’t had open access to the Penobscot River for two centuries. U.S. Interior Secretary Read More
Great Collaboration, Work Behind Great Works Dam Removal
Bangor Daily News editorial Monday was a good day for fish. After nearly 200 years of bumping their heads against a dam wall, the Penobscot River’s salmon, shad, alewives, sturgeon and blueback herring are a big step closer to being able to return to their native waters to feed, spawn and boost the larger ecosystem. Read More
A Great Day as Dam Removal Begins
Hundreds watch the start of a Penobscot River project viewed as a model for fish and waterway restoration. by Tom Bell, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story INDIAN ISLAND – Bill Townsend is an old man, at 84, but he’s steady enough on his feet to walk down a muddy bank of the Penobscot Read More
LePage Should Have Attended Dam Ceremony
A mutually beneficial compromise that brings diverse interests together should be celebrated. Portland Press Herald editorial On Monday, Maine showed the world how to advance economic and environmental interests at the same time with a comprehensive project that involved state, federal and tribal governments along with private power companies and nonprofit groups all working together. Read More
Dam Removal to Help Restore Spawning Grounds
by Murray Carpenter New York Times news story BRADLEY, Me. — Under a bright sky here, a convoy of heavy equipment rolled onto the bed of the Penobscot River on Monday to smash the Great Works Dam, a barrier that has blocked the river for nearly two centuries. Before the destruction began, a tribal elder Read More
Maine Dam Removal Aims to Rescue Fish Species
by David Abel Boston Globe news story BRADLEY, Maine – When the steel claw of an excavator slashes into the berm of the Great Works Dam on Monday morning, it will mark the start of a multimillion-dollar project to allow endangered and dwindling species to return to their historic spawning grounds along Maine’s longest river, Read More
