Letter: Action needed to stop fish deaths on Penobscot River

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 3, 2026

I live and work on the West Branch of the Penobscot River. On July 27 at 4:30 p.m. I noticed the flow had drastically decreased to 450 cubic feet per second; earlier in the day, it was over 2,000 cfs. My husband was down river at Little A Rapid and found 39 dead baby fish due to being stranded because of the low flow. This event warrants immediate investigation. This type of event seems to happen regularly. It results in significant stress on aquatic habitats throughout the West Branch; resulting in reduced available habitat, increased water temperature, decreased dissolved oxygen levels, and creates detrimental conditions to fish and other aquatic species. River flows need to be maintained at levels sufficient to protect fish populations and aquatic habitat. Action is needed now. ~ Sarah Sindo, Kingfield