Wild baby Sebago Lake salmon

Sebago Lake needs a fishway for salmon

Sunday, May 4, 2003

MAINE OBSERVER: Douglas Watts, Friends of Sebago Lake

Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

For thousands of years, the native salmon of Sebago Lake spawned in the upper Presumpscot River each fall. Today they cannot, because the dam at the outlet of Sebago lacks a fishway.

The Eel Weir dam used to have a fishway for Sebago salmon, as noted by Freeport resident William Converse Kendall, who wrote in 1935: "In the Presumpscot River, which is the outlet of Sebago Lake, the Sebago salmon used to breed and in the spring of the year, large well-conditioned salmon were found in the stream. Prior to the erection of the dam at the head of the river, and later while the fishway was effective, most, if not all, of the salmon returned to the lake."

Today, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife stocks Sebago salmon into the Presumpscot River directly below the Eel Weir Dam. Many of these salmon spawn in the river each fall and their progeny can be observed each spring. Because there is no fishway at the Eel Weir Dam, these salmon cannot swim back into Sebago and eat rainbow smelt, their favored food.

Because of this, the salmon fishery in the upper Presumpscot is poor and requires annual stocking of hatchery fish. Still, the state acknowledges the benefit of giving native landlocked salmon free access to their historic spawning streams.

A 1976 department report stated, "Long-term research by Maine biologists demonstrates the preference of the landlocked salmon for outlets of lakes. The greater majority of mature salmon migrating to the outlet of a lake to spawn return to the lake. At one time, fishermen were prone to insist that lake outlets be screened to prevent the 'loss' of fish downstream. Now, most appreciate the fact that salmon must reach a specific area to obtain the best natural reproduction and make the largest contribution to the sports
fishery."

In support of these scientific findings by state biologists, Friends of Sebago Lake has proposed a small fishway be constructed at the Eel Weir Dam for Sebago salmon as part of federal relicensing of the dam. The dam is owned by Sappi, Inc.

To our surprise, the State is opposed to a small fishway at the dam for salmon. This is unfortunate. This prevents anglers from having the opportunity to catch and release large, wild Sebago salmon in the popular Eel Weir reach of the Presumpscot River. It also forces fish and wildlife staff to waste scarce dollars on stocking hatchery salmon in the Eel Weir Reach instead of allowing wild Sebago salmon to restore themselves to the river.

Friends of Sebago Lake is hopeful the new Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Commissioner will side with science and the public good and give the native salmon of Sebago Lake free access to the place they have spawned for thousands of years.

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