The federal government ruled Monday that the nation’s last wild Atlantic salmon can coexist with a hydroelectric dam on a Maine river, dealing a blow to environmentalists who have long pushed for the dam’s removal.
Salmon, once abundant in the U.S., are now returning to some Maine rivers. One of them is the Kennebec River, dammed by Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday that the dam would not harm salmon sustainability if conservation measures are implemented.
Conservation measures along Brookfield’s four Kennebec dams are designed to improve fish passage and require an investment of more than $100 million by Brookfield, NOAA said. Dam upgrades will allow salmon to swim up the Kennebec from the Atlantic Ocean into freshwater inland habitat for the first time since the dam’s construction in the 19th century, the agency said.
The agency is reviewing the dam as Brookfield seeks to re-license and change licenses for three others, NOAA spokeswoman Allison Ferreira said. NOAA said in a statement that it will “oversee an extensive monitoring program to ensure that the dam meets the expectations of improved fish passage in the Kennebec River.”
NOAA’s opinion “is an important milestone in ensuring that the facility can continue to support Maine’s clean energy future and traditional industries along the Kennebec River,” said David Heidrich, a Brookfield spokesman.
However, environmental groups say the dam threatens salmon extinction, and NOAA’s decision is unclear. They also say the dams endanger other vulnerable fish species, such as sturgeon.
The dam’s negative impact on salmon is a violation of the Endangered Species Act, the Kennebec Coalition, an alliance of several environmental groups that support dam removal, said in a statement. They argue that in addition to blocking access to key spawning habitats, dams also create dangerous conditions for these fish.
“The safety of this dam gives the best chance to prevent the Atlantic salmon from becoming extinct, while also continuing the restoration of the vibrant, healthy Kennebec River,” Par.
Atlantic salmon populations in the U.S. are declining by the hundreds due to factors such as overfishing and habitat loss, according to NOAA. They have been listed under the Endangered Species Act for over twenty years.
Conservationists and Native American tribes have argued for years that Brookfield is not fulfilling its obligations to protect the remaining salmon.