DAILY BULLDOG • March 15, 2021
For millennia, the Kennebec River was the nucleus of Wabanaki food-systems, diplomacy, and ceremonial life. After hundreds of years of industrial development, it has become unsustainable for Wabanaki peoples and our aquatic relatives alike. The future of Atlantic Salmon and several other sea-run fish now hinges on the restoration of this waterway. The Department of Marine Resources has developed a Kennebec River Management Plan Amendment recommending removal of the Shawmut and Lockwood dams. This plan does not go far enough. Without removing all four, sea-run fish will still have to overcome the Weston and HydroKennebec dams obstructing access to their spawning grounds, and thus their ability to recover their population and self-sustain.