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 (Augusta, ME)-On June 29, people across Maine and the nation
celebrate the one year anniversary of the precedent-setting
removal of Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River which has
brought native fish species back up the river to spawn and
reinvigorated local economies and ecosystems.

A year later, it is apparent that removing the dam set in
motion the restoration of a critical stretch of the Kennebec
River. Migratory fish have traveled from the sea past the
old Edwards Dam site to Winslow for the first time in 162
years, including an estimated two million alewives as well
as striped bass, shad, sturgeon and Atlantic salmon. 

Among benefits seen a year after the removal is an
improvement in the water quality above where the dam once
stood. This river section now meets Maine's Class B water
quality standard. Before removal, these waters failed to
meet minimum Class C water quality standards to support a
healthy river ecosystem.

Citizens of the region are enjoying the river in growing
numbers. Boaters, anglers, and birdwatchers are regular
visitors to the newly exposed rapids and islands of the
Kennebec. Communities and businesses, too, are being reborn
along the river. Augusta has formed a Capital Riverfront
Improvement District (CRID) to protect the scenic character
of the river, provide public access and bring economic
development to the area.

In addition, the Edwards removal set an important national
precedent for restoring rivers through removal of hydropower
dams. The Edwards removal marked the first time the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruled the environmental
benefits of dam removal outweighed the economic benefits of
continued operation. 

The removal of Edwards dam was the result of a decade-long
effort by the Kennebec Coalition (American Rivers, Atlantic
Salmon Federation, Natural Resources Council of Maine and
Trout Unlimited and its Kennebec Valley Chapter), and an
innovative agreement forged by the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, federal and state natural resource agencies,
City of Augusta, State of Maine, and the dam owner.

For more information and an extensive photo gallery of the
Kennebec River and the Edwards Dam site, please visit
http://www.amrivers.org 

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