TIMES RECORD • May 10, 2023
A local conservation group this week filed a federal complaint pressing the owner of Brunswick’s hydroelectric dam to clear a large debris jam in its fish ladder. The Friends of Merrymeeting Bay filed the complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday. The jam at Brookfield Renewable’s dam developed after an April 29 rainstorm dumped up to 6 inches of rain on the region. Migratory fish like alewives, blueback herring, American shad, sea lamprey and the endangered Atlantic salmon use the ladder, a staircase-like structure, to access spawning grounds up the Androscoggin River. David Heidrich, a spokesperson for Brookfield Renewable, said the company is working to clear the blockage as quickly and safely as possible.