Maine Public Film Series video showcases WPES-involved Penobscot River salmon restoration project
A recent Maine Public Film Series special, , shares the story of a collaborative effort led by the Penobscot Nation and Maine DEP to restore Atlantic salmon to their historic spawning habitat in the headwaters of the Penobscot River near Mount Katahdin. The ability of salmon to access this important habitat was disrupted by more than a hundred years of dam construction and other intensive changes to the river’s natural state, much of it to facilitate industrial-scale log-driving that lasted until the 1970s.
The WPES team has been supporting this project through research into flow regimes (the timing and magnitude of freshwater flow through a stream or river) for the East Branch of the Penobscot River. We have used hydrologic modeling to understand how changing precipitation and snowmelt patterns and operational strategies of major dams in the East Branch watershed affect flow regimes in different parts of the river network, including a key portion of the main stem between Grand Lake Matagamon and Wassataquoik Stream.
To watch the video on pbs.org, click here: .
To learn more about the WPES team’s work on Penobscot River flow regimes to support this project, visit our East Branch Penobscot River Salmon Habitat Rehabilitation Through Evaluation of Flow Regimes page.