Undamming the Dialogue: Restoration on a Coastal Maine River.

Arno, Hallie, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME

Dam removals provide a case study of the ways communities view their aquatic resources. Though many relic mill dams no longer serve their original purpose and block anadromous fish passage into the watershed, dam removals can be contentious due to social and political factors. I used The Megunticook River, a small coastal river in Camden, Maine to study the conflicts around a proposed dam removal and gain insights into the community’s perception of their river and the resources it provides. I conducted a survey and interviews to understand views of proposed relic dam removals and river restoration to allow fish passage. This revealed themes such as subjectivity in the”ideal” ecosystem state, the role of history in planning for the future, the importance of local ecology and aesthetics in collective identity, and the necessity of stakeholder engagement in management decisions. The information gathered in the study can be used to inform future restoration projects by examining the values underpinning attitudes around river restoration and ways to incorporate those values into restoration planning.