BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 3, 2023
Four conservation groups that have been fighting to restore Atlantic salmon on the Kennebec River have dropped their lawsuit against Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners, which owns the four hydroelectric dams on the lower part of the river. The Atlantic Salmon Federation, Conservation Law Foundation, Maine Rivers and Natural Resources Council of Maine had made the legal challenge, saying Brookfield is breaking federal law by killing and harming the endangered salmon without an incidental take permit from the federal government. However, a recent decision by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association determined that Atlantic salmon can coexist with hydroelectric dams on the Kennebec with fish passages in place. Brookfield operates four dams on the river that prevent the fish from reaching traditional spawning grounds in the Sandy River.