Maine Hydro Plan Lowers Water to Boost Fish Passage Safety
Published Date: 5/13/2025
Notice
Summary
Hydro Kennebec LLC plans to lower its reservoir by 3 feet temporarily to fix a broken spillway gate on the Kennebec River in Maine. This change helps keep fish safe and makes boating safer near Fairfield. The fix will happen by the end of 2025, and the government is checking the environmental impact before giving the green light.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Reservoir Lowered 3 Feet for Repairs
If you boat or fish on the Kennebec River near Fairfield, the reservoir will be kept at 78 feet (3 feet lower than the normal 81 feet) by installing 3-foot flashboards instead of 6-foot flashboards to allow repair of a damaged spillway gate. The temporary lowering will occur as soon as personnel can safely access the spillway (shortly after spring runoff at the latest) and the normal flashboards will be restored no later than December 31, 2025.
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