BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 1, 2023
The rain and wet conditions during the spring and early summer may not have been good for outdoor recreation, but it likely helped with the return of Atlantic salmon, which are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, to the waters of the Penobscot River. An estimated 1,489 salmon have passed through either the fish lift in Milford or the Orono dam so far in 2023 as of July 22, said Jason Valliere, marine resource scientist for the Maine Department of Marine Resources. That continues a positive trend for Atlantic salmon returns. It marks the most fish counted since 2012.