A Plan for the Future
of the Presumpscot River
Executive Summary
Reflecting the Views of
the Presumpscot River Plan Steering Committee
With Funding and Assistance Provided by the Casco Bay Estuary
Project
and
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England Office
Facilitation, Analysis and Technical Assistance Provided by
Land and Water Associates, Hallowell, Maine
March 26, 2003
Introduction and Overview
Background
The Casco Bay Estuary Project (CBEP) is assisting a group of Presumpscot
River stakeholder organizations in developing a plan and vision for the
future of the Presumpscot River. The focus of this planning effort is the
27-mile Presumpscot River corridor, from its origins at Sebago Lake, to
its outlet in Casco Bay. Sebago Lake is Maine's second largest lake, is
one of the State's highest quality lakes, and serves as the water supply
for Greater Portland.
Steering Committee
The CBEP initiated the planning effort for the River by forming the Presumpscot
River Management Plan Steering Committee composed of representatives of
federal, state and local government agencies, conservation organizations
and interests, and SAPPI Fine Paper, Inc. (formerly S.D. Warren Company),
to work cooperatively to develop a plan for the future of the River.
The goal of the Steering Committee preparing the Plan for the Presumpscot
River has been to develop recommendations that work for all interests.
However, late in 2002 discussions aimed at finding a win/win solution to
fisheries restoration broke down and SAPPI removed itself from the planning
effort. The Steering Committee has continued the planning effort without
SAPPI's participation.
Purposes
The purposes of the planning effort were twofold: to develop a plan with
management objectives to guide future actions and decision that impact the
River; and to identify opportunities (recommended actions) for supporting
continued improvements to the health of the River and its tributaries, and
for capitalizing on the potential of a healthy river ecosystem for providing
a diversity of public benefits, including recreational, educational and
economic benefits; in balance with the benefits of renewable hydropower
energy.
Focus Areas
The Steering Committee identified three issues around which to develop its
vision and plan for the future of the Presumpscot River:
Fisheries Conditions and Opportunities
Open Space Conditions and Opportunities
Cumulative Impacts to the River
The Steering Committee has worked over a period of two years to develop
an information base and proposed management objectives for each of these
focus areas. White papers were drafted detailing what is known about the
issues, and identifying options for addressing related problems or opportunities.
These white papers are posted on the Casco Bay Estuary Project web site:
http://www.cascobay.usm.maine.edu
or may be obtained by contacting the Casco Bay Estuary Project at 207-228-8593.
They include:
· Fisheries Issues and Options for the Presumpscot River;
· Protecting and Enhancing Open Space Along the Presumpscot River
· Cumulative Impacts to Environmental Conditions on the Presumpscot
River and its Shorelands.
Developing the Final Plan
The Committee's work, including a summary of the white papers, was presented
at a series of public informational meetings held in June of 2002. Since
that time, the white papers have been revised, incorporating comments and
concerns raised at the public meetings.
The Steering Committee has also worked to develop a draft Plan, including
a vision for the future management of the River and its shoreland corridor,
with recommendations for actions that will support the achievement of that
vision. This document is an executive summary of the full Plan that will
be finalized after a public hearing and comment period.
SAPPI Fine Paper, Inc. participated in the process to develop the white
papers and in the June, 2002 public meetings withdrew from the Steering
Committee when development of this draft management began.
It is hoped that this Plan will be used to guide future actions and activities
affecting the River, and that it will promote stewardship and partnerships
between individuals, community groups, interest groups, and all levels of
governments, working together towards a vibrant future for the Presumpscot
River.
This executive summary of the draft Plan includes the highlights of each
of the focus area reports, and concludes with a Vision Statement, Recommended
Management Objectives, and Recommended Actions.
Cumulative Impacts to Environmental Conditions
on the River and its Shorelands
River's History
Original accounts and archaeological findings on the Presumpscot report
it to have been a rushing river with many falls and rapids; abundant fish
life, including sea-run species such as Atlantic salmon; and a Native American
population (the Rockomeecook tribe of the Abenakis) living largely off the
River's bounty, supplemented by corn fertilized with fish caught at the
River's falls.
The Presumpscot has a rich history. The River was settled early in Maine's
history (the first dam was constructed at Smelt Hill in the early 1730s).
The power and water supplied by the Presumpscot were fundamentally important
to the early development of the area. Without the River there would have
been no mills and little development in the area. The Presumpscot was the
site of Maine's first pulp mill, first hydroelectric project, only significant
canal, and largest gunpowder mill.
The impact of this development on the River has been significant. No other
river in Maine has virtually all its hydraulic head captured behind dams.
While use of the River for power and waste disposal were viewed as a normal
part of economic development at the time, the impacts of the dams to the
River's fisheries have been a concern since the 1700's. It was the site
of one of the first serious disputes over water rights in Maine (fish versus
dams). Orders from the Massachusetts Legislature in 1735 and 1741 required
that any dams constructed on the River provide passage for fish. In the
1840s concerns were raised over pollution of the River with bark and sawdust;
in the 1850s the paper industry was established on the River, and a number
of other industries including woolen and textile mills, iron works, and
a gunpowder mill added to the pollutant loading of the River.
By the 1950s the condition of the lower River was similar to most rivers
in the developed northeast -- it was heavily polluted and its primary value
was as a conduit for waste. The culture of environmental consciousness that
grew in the 1960s, led to passage of the Clean Water Act and marked reductions
in water pollutant discharges by the 1970s. Nevertheless, while industrial
discharges to the River have been dramatically reduced since the 1960s,
municipal treatment plant discharges and nonpoint sources of contamination
have increased.
Interest in reclaiming the River was given a boost in 1992 when the Maine
Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife undertook one of its most
successful efforts to reestablish a trout and salmon fishery in the upper
reach of the River, below Sebago Lake. More recently, the removal of the
Smelt Hill Dam at head-of-tide, and cessation of the Westbrook Mill's pulp
operation have combined to improve the condition of the lower river and
air quality in the area. As in the past, this has given rise to a new set
of competing interests, which are being addressed by this planning effort.
Impacts To Water Resources
Altered Flow Regimes
One of the most significant changes to the River, dramatically altered hydrology,
resulted from controlling flows from Sebago Lake, and the development of
dams and impoundments on the River. This changed both the flows and character
of the River, and altered water levels on Sebago Lake. This analysis addresses
cumulative impacts to the River, but does not address changes to Sebago
Lake.
Naturally occurring flows were undoubtedly more variable than flows that
have occurred with regulation by the dam at Sebago. The figure above compares
a typical hydrograph of flows in the Presumpscot River at Westbrook with
a hydrograph for the Ossipee River, a comparably sized river with significant
headwater lakes. This comparison indicates that the principal effect of
the flow regulation at Sebago Lake has been to augment low flow periods.
In addition, the hydrographs suggest that flow regulation also moderates
high spring flows, and tempers the effects of summer storms (the Presumpscot
River is less flashy in the summer).
In addition, current velocities have been decreased by the dams in places
along the River; and these dams have largely converted the River from free-flowing
to a series of impoundments.
Changes in Water Quality
Because the basin was originally almost entirely forested, the original
water quality naturally occurring in the Presumpscot River was in all likelihood
very similar to that in Sebago Lake, its source.
The cumulative impacts of waste discharges, watershed development, and damming
of the waters which spill from Sebago Lake and flow seaward through the
river corridor, are quantifiable. Changes in water quality include:
· Increased Total Suspended Solids
· Increased Dissolved Solids
· Lowered Dissolved Oxygen
· Increased Bacterial Levels
· Shift to Pollution-Tolerant Aquatic Organisms
· Elevated Temperature
Changes in Aquatic Habitat
In the Presumpscot, the community of aquatic life has been adversely affected
by cumulative impacts in the River: sedimentation, warming, and creating
impoundments. After the historic removal of the Smelt Hill Dam, over half
of the River remains impounded.
Impacts to Estuarine Resources
Salinity
It is unclear what estuarine species are benefited or disadvantaged by the
existence of more stable fresh water flows to Presumpscot estuary, but it
is clear that the system is different (more stable, less dynamic) than it
would be under natural conditions.
Chemistry of Estuarine Sediments
The Presumpscot River estuary is a large depositional area where fine-grained
sediments carried downstream by the River are accumulating. The fine-grained
sediments of the River's estuary have moderately elevated levels of metals
and high levels of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Also the estuary
has the highest levels of dioxins and furans found in Casco Bay.
Volume of Sediments
The volume of coarse sediments reaching the estuary has been reduced by
dams, while the volume of fine sediments has been increased by discharges
and erosion in the watershed.
Estuarine Water Quality
The extent of eelgrass beds is often used as an indicator of estuarine water
quality. A 1993-1995 eelgrass mapping project undertaken by the Maine Department
of Marine Resources (MDMR) did not detect the presence of eelgrass in the
estuary of the Presumpscot.
Estuarine Animals
Pollution traveling downstream with the River has impacted estuarine faunal
resources. In 1991, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection data
indicated that dioxin, a carcinogen, was present in soft-shelled clams in
the estuary in significant amounts, presenting a cancer risk of one in one
million.
Eliminating the runs of anadromous fish and reducing the runs of American
eels (a species that lives in fresh water and spawns in the ocean) has impacted
the estuary as well as the River. Runs of approximately 34,500 to 136,000
adult American shad and 150,000 to 200,000 adult alewives, and 450,000 blueback
river herring potentially could be restored to the River. If these potential
runs develop, hundreds of millions of juvenile shad, alewives and bluebacks
would be hatched in the River each year and tens of millions would migrate
out of the River each year. The yearly migrations of these adult and juvenile
fish would make the Presumpscot River estuary and Casco Bay more attractive
for a wide variety of predators including, but not limited to, kingfishers,
great blue herons, osprey, bald eagles, striped bass, and seals. Researchers
on Delaware Bay concluded that restoring alewives and river herring to about
half the habitat potentially available on the Presumpscot would produce
between 539 pounds and 73,696 pounds of striped bass and weakfish in the
estuary.
Fisheries and Aquatic Life
Historical documentation of the fishery noted that The Presumpscot is a
rapid river frequented by salmon, shad and alewives, but seems to have been
best adapted to salmon and that salmon ascended the River to Sebago Lake
and beyond (USCFF, 1887).
Major changes to the fish resources of the basin include:
blocking (by dams) of fish passage for anadromous (salmon, shad, alewives,
etc.) and catadromous (eels) species; DMR has estimated that if access were
restored for 3 species (shad, alewives and blueback herring) that fish runs
totaling approximately 634,000 to 786,000 fish could be supported by the
River; fragmentation of habitats as a result of dams on the River; a shift
from fast moving coldwater riverine habitats to a series of slower moving
impounded areas (15 of 17.5 miles of the original River above the Cumberland
Mills Dam remains impounded). This change favors fish species such as bass
and panfish at the expense of native salmonids; and
deterioration of water quality (including depressed dissolved oxygen conditions)
resulting from industrial and municipal discharges.
Threatened and Endangered Species
Impacts to threatened and endangered plant species inhabiting the Presumpscot
River corridor include loss of habitats, particularly floodplain forests
as well as reduction in the productivity of these areas. Two plant species
identified by the State as threatened or species of concern have been observed
and two others reported historically. One of these species (small whorled
pogonia) is extremely rare nationally. Agriculture, timber harvesting, inundation
by impoundments, loss of anadromous fish, development and pesticide use
have all contributed to cumulative impacts on certain threatened and endangered
animal species (e.g., bald eagles).
Recreational Resources
Dams on the Presumpscot have changed the character of the River from a fast
moving river falling 267 feet over more than a dozen falls and rapids, to
largely a series of impoundments. Until the recent removal of the Smelt
Hill Dam, which restored 7 miles to riverine conditions, the Presumpscot
had only 5 miles out of 27 that were not impounded, and approximately half
of this was the tidal section of the River below the Smelt Hill Dam. Above
Cumberland Mills Dam, only 2.5 miles of the River is free-flowing, and unimpounded
sections are generally small segments, except for the Eel Weir Bypass Reach,
which is 6,700 feet long (this section receives only a minor portion of
the total outflow from Sebago Lake, most of which goes through a power canal).
As a result, impacts to recreational resources include loss of opportunities
for whitewater boating and extended river canoe trips as well as loss of
coldwater fishing opportunities on the mainstem of the Presumpscot River.
At the same time the dams have stabilized flows and created impoundments
and opportunities for flat water recreation.
The Local and Regional Economy
The subsistence economy of the Native Americans who first inhabited the
Presumpscot River area was based largely on the food resources provided
by the River. This economy was in place for thousands of years before Europeans
settled the area, and was replaced in the 1700s by a mixture of agriculture
and early industrial development.
It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the River to the region's
early industrial economy.
The power and water provided by the Presumpscot River, particularly the
reliable flows which resulted from damming and managing the water level
on Sebago Lake, were the reasons for the growth of industry and population
centers on its banks. The River and its management continue to impact the
region's prosperity. For example, dams on the River are still a low cost
producer of electricity for the SAPPI mill in Westbrook, which provides
jobs for over 500 people (energy savings are estimated at approximately
$2 million per year), and contributes approximately $85 million per year
to the local economy. However, the future of the SAPPI Westbrook mill depends
on many factors beyond the energy production at these dams. In addition,
utilization of Sebago Lake as a reservoir through controls at Eel Weir Dam
at the head of the River (not proposed for removal by any option under consideration)
has provided higher more constant summer flows. This reduces wastewater
treatment costs for downstream municipal and industrial dischargers.
The waterpower of the River has literally fueled the area's industrial economy,
but there has also been an economic price to pay. Part of this price results
from the external costs of industrial development borne by the public (e.g.,
the cost of government programs to reduce pollution, public health costs,
etc). While enhanced opportunities have been created for flat water recreation
and bass fishing, other portions of this price results from reduced water
quality, reduced opportunities for trout and salmon fishing, loss of recreation
opportunities, and aesthetic impacts. All of these have economic impacts,
as well as impacts on the quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors.
For example, a statewide study found that inland fishing supports over 5,000
jobs and has a total economic output of $292 million. Of course, only a
small portion of this total results from fishing on the Presumpscot; however,
it is likely that the loss of trout and salmon populations has resulted
in a loss to the regional economy.
In the year 2001 the pulp and paper industry employed 13,200 people in Maine
and comprised about 4.5% ($1.45 billion) of Maineís Gross State Product
(information from the Maine Pulp and Paper Association), of which only a
small portion is attributable to the economy of the Presumpscot Basin.
Thus, the development of the Presumpscot River and its corridor has resulted
in important benefits as well as losses to the local and regional economy
and environment. While society has benefited from the use of its waters
for industry, for power, and for the dilution of wastes, the cumulative
impacts of human use have eliminated most of the natural values of the "river
of many rough places." The challenge faced by this planning effort
is to find solutions to problems which reduce cumulative impacts, improve
the quality of life for residents and visitors, increase economic activity
based on improvements in environmental quality, and support both new and
traditional industries.
A Vision for the Future: Findings and Recommendations
Findings
The future of the Presumpscot River is full of possibility:
Fisheries: Events of the recent past position the River for an unprecedented
recovery. Water pollution on the River has been greatly abated with the
development of water treatment facilities and SAPPI's elimination of its
pulp mill. The removal of the Smelt Hill Dam, at head-of-tide has provided
migratory fish species unimpeded access to the lower seven miles of Presumpscot
River for the first time in over a century. Migratory fish, either remnant
populations from the Presumpscot or strays from other river systems, can
now recolonize the lower river. With full recolonization, the River as far
as Cumberland Mills Dam in Westbrook (including access to habitat in the
Piscataqua River and Mill Brook) could support runs of approximately 13,000
shad, 78,000 blueback herring, 20 to 100 Atlantic salmon, and 150,000 to
200,000 alewives. State and federal agencies have changed how they view
the future of the River, and are now calling for restoration of migratory
fishes to more of the River, above the Cumberland Mills Dam in Westbrook.
Open Space: Because most of the area along the Presumpscot River
remains undeveloped, there are extensive opportunities to protect the areaís
open space values, to improve public access, to provide trails either to
or along the River and to provide a variety of other recreation facilities
and opportunities. The time to seize this opportunity may be limited, however,
as development pressures are increasing. In the past, development along
the River below Westbrook has been slowed by the negative environmental
side effects of the SAPPI pulp mill and the availability of more attractive
waterfront property in the region. Today, the mill's pulp operations have
been eliminated, and so too have its attendant by-products of water pollution,
and offensive downwind odors. Partly as a result of this change, the potential
for development along the Presumpscot River has never been higher.
Cumulative Impacts: The Presumpscot has a rich history. The power
and water supply provided by the Presumpscot were fundamentally important
to the early development of the area, and the rise of an industrial economy
along the River. The Presumpscot River was the site of Maine's first pulp
mill, first hydroelectric project, only significant canal, and largest gunpowder
mill. The River and its management continue to impact the region's economy;
dams on the River are still a low cost producer of electricity and contribute
economically to the SAPPI paper mill in Westbrook, which uses the power.
Development of dams on the River had its costs however. A case in point
is that migratory fishes were eliminated from the River -- the Presumpscot
was the site of one of the first serious disputes over water rights in Maine
(fish versus dams). The dams also eliminated trout and salmon habitat and
opportunities to fish for these species. Later, industrialization of the
River reduced water quality and degraded the aesthetics of the River, reducing
its attractiveness for boating, swimming, and other forms of recreation.
All of these impacts have had economic impacts, as well as impacts on the
quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors.
The challenge, and at the same time the opportunity before the Steering
Committee, is to find solutions to problems which reduce cumulative impacts,
improve the quality of life for residents and visitors, and contribute to
a vibrant local economy that supports new and traditional industries.
A Vision for the Presumpscot River
The Presumpscot River, including its tributaries and shorelands, is managed
to realize the greatest good for all its communities, both human and ecological,
through a careful balancing of all potential uses. The River supports the
production of renewable energy, and the full range of natural and economic
benefits and uses that are dependent upon a restored and ecologically healthy
river, including the benefits to resident and migratory fish and wildlife,
and the use and enjoyment of the River for open space and recreation.
In pursuing this vision, the participants in this planning effort recognize
two important and inescapable conclusions:
· balancing and optimizing among potentially competing uses, values
and interests is complex and requires considered judgments on how to integrate
uses to achieve the greatest overall benefits;
· the optimum mix of uses and management of the River will change over
time as our knowledge and societyís needs change.
Thus, the planning effort should not be viewed as "finished" at
any point in time. Rather, to be effective, it will require a periodic reexamination
of the issues involved in management of the River. In fact, this shift in
our understanding of appropriate management, and the changing needs of our
society over the last two centuries is what has prompted renewed interest
in the Presumpscot, and a reexamination of its management.
Recommended Management Objectives
· Restoring self-sustaining populations of native resident fish,
free-flowing water, and riverine habitat from Gambo Dam to Casco Bay.
Providing access to the entire River (as far as the dam at Sebago lake)
for sea-run migratory fish, consistent with the management recommendations
stated in the Fishery Management Plan for the Presumpscot River prepared
by the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Inland Fisheries and
Wildlife Department, and Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission (December 2001).
· Managing major hydroelectric projects at Gambo, Dundee, Great
Falls, and Eel Weir for maximum production of electricity and minimum impact
on local ecosystems.
· Assuring the Presumpscotís waters are clean and are classified
and attaining Class A or B standards everywhere.
· Continually striving to reduce or eliminate existing point-source
discharges into the Presumpscot River and its tributaries.
· Minimizing the impact of nonpoint source pollution on the River.
Protecting most of the remaining open space along the Presumpscot River
and its tributaries to preserve or improve wildlife habitat and provide
healthy riparian buffers.
· Providing for additional public access and low-impact recreation
along the River while preserving some lands for wildlife only.
Promoting the economic, community and ecological benefits of a healthy river
system.
Recommended Actions
Fisheries Restoration
Support efforts to achieve restoration of fish passage to the River above
Cumberland Mills Dam. The preferred option is through removal of three small
dams below Gambo Dam, and installation of up to three fish passage facilities
as needed to accomplish full access when sea-run fish migrations reach population
levels determined to warrant additional passage.
Open Space and Recreation
· Develop a water trail the length of the River.
· Develop a land trail the length of the River.
· Create new access points to the River.
· Conserve open space parcels with a focus on high value areas.
. Renovate portions of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal as historic/ recreational
resources.
· Assist with improvements to Riverton Trolley Park.
· Educate landowners and other watershed residents about the benefits
of conserving and enhancing riparian lands along the
· Presumpscot River and its tributaries.
· Create a Presumpscot River Council.
Cumulative Impacts
(High, Moderate, or Low Level of Importance):
Water Quality
· Support comprehensive stormwater management efforts (High).
· Reclassify the River to Class B from Saccarappa Falls to tidewater
(Moderate/High).
· Extend Casco Bay Estuary Project's Toxic Monitoring Program to include
more sites at the mouth of the Presumpscot River (Moderate).
· Identify potential inadequate treatment of point sources of pollution
where they exist (Moderate).
· Non-Point Source Pollution Control
Support the CCSWCD's Erosion Control Training for Communities (High).
· Implement nonpoint education for municipal officials (High).
· Identify nonpoint sources of pollution (Moderate/High).
· Support erosion control technical assistance for landowners (Moderate).
Fisheries
· Restore riverine habitat below Gambo Dam (High).
· Mitigate for the loss of anadromous and catadromous fish runs, and
their contributions to the productivity of Casco Bay (High).
· Encourage local citizens to perform stream habitat walks within the
tributaries of the Presumpscot River (Moderate).
River Corridor Habitat Improvement
· Protect and enhance the riparian corridor by re-establishing forested
buffers and siting development appropriately (High).
· Protect significant wetlands through purchasing, restoration efforts,
and protective buffer projects (Moderate).
· Continue efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Gulf of Maine
Program and the State of Maine to provide information to communities in
the Presumpscot River Watershed and work with the communities and land trusts
to develop protected wildlife corridors (Moderate).
Stewardship/Public Education
. Support natural resources education for schools (High).
. Educate property owners of negative effects of pesticides (High).
. Inform public of Fish Advisories (Moderate).
Flood Protection
· Develop a flood mitigation program for the Presumpscot River Watershed
(Low/Moderate).
OPEN SPACE SECTION
FISHERIES SECTION
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