Wild landlocked Atlantic salmon juveniles, captured several days after emerging from spawning beds in the Eel Weir Reach of the Presumpscot River at the Route 35 bridge in Standish. Photo taken May, 2001.
18. Analysis of adequate flows to the "Eel Weir Bypass Reach" and restoration/mitigation opportunities in the reach to restore native salmonid spawning and rearing habitat damaged by reduction in natural flows to this reach.

At present, flows to the "Eel Weir Bypass Reach" are a small fraction of the natural flow of the Presumpscot River, turning what should be a large river into a small stream. Most significant is that this 1.25 mile free-flowing reach is the only remaining free-flowing segment of the Presumpscot River above Ammoncongin Falls (Cumberland Mills) in Westbrook, 15 miles downstream.

The deprivation of the Eel Weir Bypass Reach of greater flows is now resulting in the dewatering of significant amounts of spawning and nursery habitat for native Sebago salmon and brook trout in the reach. The existing, minuscule flows are also preventing the river channel from re-establishing itself after a 90-year period in which the S.D. Warren Company de-watered the reach to maximize power production at its Eel Weir Dam powerhouse. This long period of de-watering has allowed red maple and other trees and shrubs to grow into the natural channel of the Presumpscot River below the Sebago Lake outlet, severely reducing the width of the river's natural channel and its numerous side channels.

A detailed discussion of these issues by FOSL was submitted to the Applicant and state and federal fisheries agencies in our December 3, 2000 letter to S.D. Warren titled, "Friends of Sebago Lake Comments on 'Draft Study -- Eel Weir Bypass Reach Instream Flow Study'" and is incorporated into these Scoping Comments by reference. This letter is available for review in the consultation section of the Eel Weir License Application (S.D. Warren 2002).

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