Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-12

gratory fish, salmon, shad, etc. seek
ing to reach the spawning beds to
make it incumbent upon the Maine
Department of Fisheries and Game
| to direct that the fishways be pro-
Vided.
Entertained BY President
The meeting at Dead River was
held to discuss plans of activities
for the coming year of the Maine
Sportsmen's Fish and Game Associ-
alton and the proposal for f1shways
on the Kennebec was one of the
most important and widely discus
sed proposals at the session. The
officers of the association and 9TH
ers interested were guests at the
Ledge House and Cabins of the
president, Mr.. Viles, and the SPLEEN
did equipment and ample facilities
of the sporting camps provided a
wonderful setting for the session.
The meeting which was entirely
Informal was held following dinner,
Saturday evening, in the new recre-
alton hall before the great stone
fireplace. and enthusiasm for the
years work AMI optimism as to the
future developments of Names nat
ural resources were the keynotes.
Besides Commissioner Parsons and
president Viles of the association,
those in attendance included Mer-
ton French of Bangor, a former
president of the Maine Sportsmen's
Fish and Game Association and one
of its most enthusiastic and active
members; Richard j. Upton of Au-
gusta, president of the Maine Fish
and Game Wardens' Association;
Rupert 2. Berry of Portland, John
Flint of Monson. chief warden of
Piscataquis county; Ralph Sterling
OF Carratunll, Ralph Wing of Flag
staff, Chief fire warden of the Dead
River district: William J. Lacrosse
of Caratunl1, Ray Viles of Portland,
Visco c. Isola of Augusta, Clarence
Philbrick of Augusta, and several
special guests.
Kenncbec Famous for Salmon
In considering the Kennebec fish
ways project, it was called to atten-
ton that the pioneers who settled
the valley region found the salmon
fishing their principal source of rev.
enue. The decline of this fishing has
been laid partly to the industrial de-
velopments with the pollution OF the
river waters from waste dye SUITS
from the textile mills and other
waste from the pulp and sulphlte
mills. 1t has also been partly due
to the building of dam and hydro
electric projects, which have raised
barriers against the natural habits
of the salmon and other migratory
fish running up the rivers to spawn.
The Maine Commissioner OF Fish
and Game, Mr. Parsons, and others
expressed it as their belief that the
salmon still came up the river from
the sea as far al Augusta, and Nar-
den Upton declared that on many
occasions he had observed the giant
| fish under the apron of the Augusta
( dam seeking a way on up the river
| to propagate.
| Those familiar with the fish de-
| clared that there was probably no
| more pollution, If as much, of. the
| Kennebec waters than of the Penob-
scot. and that since the building OF
Ihshways on the latter river the fish
had been found all the way up to
! Ripogenus Dam and in the East and
West Branches.
The project as considered at the
meeting would provide for the in
vestigation of the water pollution
land the location of spawning
grounds, and eventually the build
ing of fishways not only at Augusta
but at Waterville, Skowhegan and
| Madison. 1t was pointed out that
by equipping the Kennebec dam
which is now the head of tide, and
at the Fort Halifax dam on the Sc
basticook, a great territory would be
lopened up for the migratory salmon.
1t is anticipated that these fish would
go up the Kennebec, Sebasticook and
| Wesserunsett waters.
Cooperation Expected
Speaking on the great strides
which are being made in the pro-
lection and development of the
| salmon through the furthering of
| their natural habits of going up the
rivers in the spring, Commissioner
Parsons said:
1.-THE situation in regard to build
| ing fshways is considerably different
than formerly. We used to have to
fpht to establish fishways. but now
when a dam or hydro electric de-
| Veloprnent is being considered, the
promoters send their engineers to us
to ask us just what kind of a fish
way we want Incorporated.
Commissioner Parsons said that
though it was generally the belief
that the pollution of the river waters
with dyestuffs and sulphite had
driven out the shad and salmon, the
Pehobscot situation was proof to the
contrary. He also cited many other
successful DEVELOPMENTS including
those on the St Croix, the Dennys.
the Nachias and other rivers east of
Tho. .Kennebec. "a salmon, seeking
way to the spawning beds. will
stand almost anything" declared the
Commissioner.
To Promote Fishing
1t seemed to be the general opin
ion at the Dead River meeting that
the Maine Sportsmen's Fish and
Game Association could most advan-
tageously devote the major part of
its efforts to the fishing rather than
the hunting of this state. It is the
fishing in the lakes. rivers and
streams which brings people into
this state in earJv spring and keeps
them wi hin the borders through the
summer and into the autumn.
"There's lot this association can
do" said Commissioner Parsons,
"bcsides telling them what laws to
have. and the first thing to do is to
double the membership and then re-
double it again" It was estimated
by another of the speakers that in
Guiding the present memberships of
the some thirty local and county fish
and game associations there is at the
present time a potential membership
for the State organization of up
wa~ds of $500.
Those present also were IN full
agreement that the development OF
the highways in the northern sec