Proposed Changes

The Town of Camden has received funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Coastal Resilience Fund to assess the impact of Camden's dam on the community's vulnerability to climate-change-related flooding and sea-level rise. For more information, email megunticook@camdenmaine.gov.

There are seven dams in Camden, with varying levels of vulnerability to climate-change-induced flooding and sea-level rise. The closest dam to the ocean is Montgomery Dam; a public dam that currently increases flood risk for many downtown Camden buildings. The increased flood risk is compounded with the sea wall in Harbor Park, which is deteriorating from being frequently overrun by the high tide. The second closest dam is the Knox Mill Dam, which is a privately owned dam. It still requires evaluation to analyze its flood risk and the possibility of adding a fish passage or entirely removing the dam. Similarly, the Knowlton Street Dam may have similar risks, along with affecting the wetland area behind the middle school and wastewater treatment plant. Further up the river is a partially breached dam that also impacts the ecosystem. Given its state of disrepair, it may be better to remove the dam entirely. The three furthest dams from the ocean (West Meguniticook Lake, East Meguniticook Lake, and Seabright Dams) are not being considered for removal, as they maintain water levels upstream. The only alterations being considered for those dams are creating fishways to increase fish passage.