Maine Sea Grant collaborating on fish passage projects in Bagaduce River watershed
Maine Sea Grant is working with the town of Penobscot, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, The Nature Conservancy, NOAA, and others on several fish passage projects in the watershed of the Bagaduce River, a tributary of Penobscot Bay. Construction of new fishways at Pierce and Wight ponds, scheduled to begin this summer, will improve fish passage, boosting historically important alewife runs and providing benefits to the local community. Current water levels in both ponds will be maintained for wildlife, residents and recreational users, as well as minimizing ongoing maintenance costs for the town. Sea Grant is working with the town to develop informational content for public viewing areas that will be constructed at the restoration sites. Sea Grant also has provided funding to support monitoring of the alewife migration. Additional funding has been received from private donors, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. Maine Sea Grant’s involvement is part of its participation in NOAA’s Habitat Focus Area for the Penobscot River.