Royal River dam removal begins in Yarmouth

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 28, 2026

The work to “free the Royal River” — a common refrain for those working to remove a pair of dams in Yarmouth — has officially begun. Contractors have started removing the town-owned Bridge Street Dam, which will bring the river one step closer to its natural flow. By the end of September, they will take down the concrete fishway, penstock and dam. Next summer, if all goes according to plan, the Elm Street Dam will also be removed, allowing for a natural river flow through Yarmouth. The $3.8 million project, led by the town and the national conservation nonprofit American Rivers, has been decades in the making.