The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-21
FiShwavs in Maine

The following letter from Everett Smith,
ESQ.,, commissioner of fisheries, will prove of
interest to Maine readers.
PORTLAND, Aug. editor Sea World and
Fishing Gazette The new fshway at Angus
ia in the Kennebec was formally opened Nav
%, 1880, and on that day, after allowing it to
remain open while, the water was shut off
when no less than six varieties of fish were
observed therein, at various places, on their
passage through. These fish were in order of
theirI abundance, lampreys, perch, clubs,
Dream, tsuckers and alewives. At various
times thereafter visited this fishway and shut
off the water for examination, and on every
occasion found various and many fish therein.
Lampreys, suckers and alewiveS were especial
ly in abundance. During June and July, ale
wives, salmon and sturgeon have been OBJ
served in the Kennebec at Watervile, eighteen
miles above Augusta. The fact that sturqeon
have passed through the fishway at Augusta is
OF especial interest to me, and 1 would ask
whether this is the first record of sturgeon
passing through modern fishway?
At Waterville there will probably be a fish
way completed this year, as the dam-owners
are already under heavy penalties for its nom
completion.
On the Penobscot river some improvements
at the Bangor fshway are just being COM
pleted Owing to about ten feet rise and fall
of the tide below the dam here, the fshway
has been effective but portion of each day.
The improvements are designed to overcome
this defect, and an important feature of the
Augusta fshway has been added here. Dur
ing the progress of this work at Bangor it has
been necessary to shut the fishway each day,
letting the water in every noon and night af-
ter suspension of work. On every such occa-
sion the fishway was examined and the salmon
found therein were restored to the river Dur
ing the first fourteen closings of the fishway
no salmon were found. AS the improvements
progressed, however, salmon were daily OBJ
served, and the numbers found in the fishway
at such closing gradually increased from two
or three, to seven, nine and twelve at last re-
ports, at one time. Above Bangor, on the Pc
nobscot river, there are improvements, par
TALLY carried out last year, to be made at
Ayers Falls: At the Great Works dam new
fishway has just been completed This dam
has heretofore been an impossible barrier to
alewives, and passible to salmon only when
the water in the river was high Hereafter all
fish in the river can pass the dam at any time.
On the Mattawamkeag river there are three
dams to be opened for the passage Of fish A
new fishway is in construction at Sluegundy
Falls. passage will be made at Gordons
Falls, just below, as soon as this is completed,
and am now designing fishway for the dam
at Kingman.
On the Androscoggin river a new fishway,is
IN process OF construction at Brunswick, and
there is one completed at the Topsham da m
next above.
On the Presumpscot river new fishway
has been built at the head of the river, which
20 on0 ouoAOu VI CoDdSO Lake; ana there are
now eight fshways on this short river, and a
passage established for fish to ascend from the
sea to Lake Sebago and its tributary streams.
AT Damariscotta Mills there is fishway
that has been in successful operation for up
wards OF fifty years, and the propagation of
fish through the aid of man has been Continued
there for that length of time.
Az tne outlet OF a large lake there is fall
OF o. feet almost directly into an arm of the
sea, Alewlves were taken from the Georges
river at Warren and placed alive in this lake.
A hsh way was then provided for them and
tnelr progeny to ascend to the lake when re-
turning from the sea each succeeding year,
and regulations by law made for their protec-
tion from determination. The alewive fishery
at this place, entirely created by the aid of
@9 man, is now the most valuable one in the
State' In one day this year 10000 fish were
dipped there, and on that day ''as MANY more |
could have been taken had there been facli- |
tleS and material for their preservation"
we are each year introducing and restoring |
the alewives to the streams throughout Maine,
tne commissioners regarding the presence of |
these fish as of great Importance in improving