Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-21

water rivers spawn, and do not spawn
at all in salt water.
In the Androscoggin river, salmon
were formerly observed as far up as
Rumford Falls, breeding in the main river
and most of the tributaries, going up the
Little Androscoggin as far as Paris HILL
and although falls at Lewiston were diff
cult, they did not prevent the passage of
the salmon until the dam was built. We
have no report of the salmon ever occur
ring in the main river above Rumford
Falls no doubt owing to the obstruction
of the natural high falls at this point
Salmon were caught at Lewiston as late
as 1915, the first dam built at Brunswick
not being high enough to stop their pas
sage. Alewves formerly came UP the An
droscoggin and bred in Sabattus pond
I'm the Kennebec river ct Augusta the
number of salmon taken in 1920 was estt-
mated at 1000 and in 1922, in one dav, one
seine was known to take 100 shad while
in 1851 a seine took in that year 800 shad
and 1000 alewives. Charles Hume of Au-
susta fished at Waterville with drift net
from 1880 to 1887. taking $50 salmon yearly
Prior to the building of the first dam at
Augusta in 1881 shad were taken in large
NUMBERS as far up as Watervilie the yield
in one day mentioned being $500
Many salmon and shad were also TAX
en- prior to 1887 at Skowhegan. salmon be-
ing taken as far up as Caratunk Falls.
The year that the first dam at Augusta
was carried away, Colonel Thompson of
Emoden states that 50 salmon were TAX
en- in one night at these falls. In 1867 the
whole number Of salmon taken at Au-
gusta was only 20 and in the whole river
the catch was estimated at but 1910.
sandy river, which flows into the
hennenec at Norridgewocl, was formerly
a salmon river and a favorite spawning
ground. Shad and alewives came up as
FAR as Pennington the alewives spawning
in Narnum's pond in Temple The first
obstruction in this river was a dam built
IN leVi at New Sharon. which stopped the
shad and alewives, but a fshway which
permitted the salmon to pass, was main
tanned for a few years On very high
water the salmon were able to pass the
dam, S David Hunter of Strong took
a salmon in the river there as late as 1926
conditions in the Cara bassett river
another tributary to the Kennebec and a
clear mountain stream like the Sandy
were much the same. salmon ascending
the river as far as Kingfeld. At New
Portland so many were sometimes taken
that only the bellies were saved. the rest
of the fish being thrown away. After the
building of the Augusta dam, they disap-
peared from the Carrabassett river, but
during the year this dam was out, they
assembled that stream. % being reported
taken a. North Arson village.
THE Penobscot river has suffered less
loss Of fish than any other large Maine
river. In 1867, the time this first report
was made shad assembled the river for
many miles. On the west branch they
went as far as Grand Falls, near the
mouth of the Millnocket stream and
both salmon and shad were reported seen
near North Twin lake. At that time there
were but four dams on the lower reaches
of the main Penobscot. viz. in veazie,
Basin Mills, Great Works and Old Town.
At present there are three other dams on
the river. but all are provided with fish,
ways. The fishway at the new veazie
dam will be reconstructed this summer,
under orders from the Inland Fisheries
and Game Commissioners. and a more
efficient passage for salmon will be pro-
vided. Large numbers of salmon are at
present in the pool at this dam at veazie.
but owing to the strong current which
flows through the fishway, as at present
constructed, only the strongest fish get
through the dam and go on up the river.
THE Penobscot river being the only
large Maine river which has been kept
passable for the salmon, is now the only
river TO which they resort in any num-
bers which seems to show conclusively
that all our rivers need is the mainte-
nance Of fishways through the obstructing
dams and the restocking Of their upper
reaches with Atlantic salmon. in order to
re-establish in these rivers food supply
which. under present conditions, would
be Of inestimable value to the people Of
our State. 3
"A, good example Of What may be done