In his 1937 book, “Kennebec: Cradle of Americans,” the poet Robert Tristram Coffin called Maine’s sprawling river a “paradise for fish.” But pollution and dams that block spawning runs for Atlantic salmon, sturgeon and shad put an end to that world.
The Kennebec River now runs mostly clean, thanks to laws that reduced pollution.
The commission should order the removal of the dams.
Dams are being removed from rivers across the country.
Last year, 80 were demolished, reconnecting obstructed waterways with 1,160 upstream river miles.
Persons:
Robert Tristram Coffin, Brookfield
Organizations:
Federal Energy Regulatory, Brookfield Renewable
Locations:
“ Kennebec, Kennebec, Sandy, Gulf of Maine