Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-05-05
FISH j.
How the Upper kennebec is to be
Re-stocked with Fish.
THE NEW FIsHwAY.

1t has been more than forty-five years that
the Kennebec river, above Augusta, has been
closed to migratory fishes. The 'soldest in
babitaht'' can distinctly remember the great
annual run of fishes during the spring and
.ummer, when they were on their Journey
far No stream to their old spawning ground
What the Dam Did.
4 dam was built across the Kennebec at
Augusta in 1884. which effectually stopped
the migratory fish (salmon, shad and ale
~ves) from passing it. Since which time
onlv few of these valuable food fish have
been seen above the dam; and these found
their way through the lock when it was
opened for the passage Of boats and RATS of
lnmber. Previous to this time the Kenne
hec was splendid river for fish, and afford
Cd the inhabitants along its banks and tribu-
taries an abundant supply of food. The wri-
ter's grandfather and other early settlers of
pt,sfed on the Sebasticook, have said to
me that they would build wier across the
stream and in one day and night would catch
enough fish to pickle, smoke and dry, to last
year-besides catching enough in a few
minutes at any time during the run to supply
them with fresh fish. But now, our mipra-
,ery fish in the kennebec are nearly extinct
with the exception of eels). To be sure
fish come up the kennebec and turn into Mer-
rymeeting bay, and some go up the Andro-
.eopcin but few come up as far as Angus
ia The shad find suitable spawning grounds
in Merrvmeeting bay and continue to be
plenty there. Salmon are very scarce The
reason Of this is, because they cannot find
spawnng grounds. 1t is an established law
in technology that migratory fish return, if
possible, to the place where they were hatch
ed. to deposit their ova failing to reach their
old spawning grounds they exhaust them
selves in trying to reach it, or fall an easy
victim to the spear and net of the fisherman.
and in the course oftime become extinct. How.
ever. it is possible that some fish which were
hatched out above the dam 46 years ago. NAV
now be living and have come annually to this
place, demanding free passage up river
But it is very doubtful even, if fish live to
that age fishes and animals that live in
the water, it is said, attain to great age.
Common brook trout have been confined in a
we'll 80 and even fifty years A pickerel has
been known to live in a pond 80 years., that
anv of our Kennebec salmon, shade or alewives
should have escaped the wiles of the fisher
men for so long n time.
The First Fishway.
After many years.of effort. suitable pas
sage has been made through the dam at this
place. but our fish are gone, and we must be-
gin new. 1t was especially provided by an
act Of the legislature, March 7, 1884, grant
ing charter to the kennebec Dam Co.,
that at shall be the duty of said corpora
ton to construct an maintain from the Goth
Of April to the Goth of July, in each year, IA
good and sufficient passage-way in, through
or over said dam, and at the most suitable
& tla 10, I.rt t1,n,
Of salmon, Shad and alewives, practicable and
easy so that the same may go up the said
river into the fresh water ponds. streams and
other waters connected with the Kennebec
river above said dam Notwithstanding this
plain provision for n tish-wav in the charter
Of the corporation, it was several years be-
fore an attempt was made to build tisl-way.
And then only frai and unsuitable struc-
ture was made. which was carried away by
the first treshet.
In 1867, = Commission of Fisheries was
established by the legislature, and authorized
to restore fish to the rivers and inland
waters of Maine and Charles G. Atking OF
this city. and y. W. Foster. were appointed
commissioners. They made great exertions
TO have tsh-way built over the Augusta
DAM but failed to compel the owners to do
so. In 1875. the kennebec Association for
to agate the fshwav question in earnest, and
after rectng the law and history, ''Resolved,
That the Association respectfully and
earnestly request the fish commissioners of
the State of Maine, to Immediately take
measures to procure the building of a sulta-
Bile hsh-way over the Kennebec dam at
augusta and that the Association pledges
itself to use every legitimate means in its
power to aid in the specify building of said
fshway"
The Fish COmmissiOncrs.
Mr. Fish Commissioner Stilwell took
aetve and vigorous measures to carry out the
request of the Association. He employed
Everett Smith, as engineer. to make the
plan, and fish-way was located at the West
end OF the dam. The fish-way is constructed
on scientific principles and is one of the best
IN The world. Great credit is due Messrs.
>llwell and Smith for the energetic and IN
idhqeat manner in which they have accom-
pushed this great undertaking. have no
doubt of the success of this enterprise. Sal
mon shad, alewives and lampreys. that are
Matched above, will easily find their way
through it and go up to their spawning
grounds, and We shall see them plenty IN the
hennebec river. / sometimes hear doubts
expressed to fish finding their
way through such crooked passage
as our iish-way. 1t should be remembered
'nat migratory fish find their way up stream,
'sainst the current-nO matter how crook"u
ef tortuous it nay be-with as true and un-
effng an instinct as the robins and swallows
una their way back from the south where they
soi spend the winter and return to occup!
sner old nests in our barns and garden trees
Inc current is the gudeboard that directs hsh
Oa Their way, their way is up stream to the
place where they we're hatched. They rare
y 90 above this point.
now the kcnncbec Is to be Restocked'
ihe instinct which induces fish to seek
mer native stream for the purpose OF spawn
hs will be turned to good account IN re-
sucking the kennebec Salmon eggs Will DC
secured and carried to Moosehead Lake.
ahere a Matching house is built, Matched OUT,
a,, aaa the young fry put in the streams on .he
oi1 spawning grounds. These young nsh
,1i 60 to the sea to get their growth. III
uie course of three or four years, (wlth "n-
ef1ing instinct they will return full grown
sAlmon, to the very place where they were ,,
spofn, to deposit their eggs Shad eggs VIII
N secured and Matched and the young 1rs
pu1 IN their old haunts. sufficient mum
oef OF alewives can be caught not far beio"
ule dam and tr,psDrnt,J nm river. Ii is De-