Dam Renewal: FERC Opens Worumbo Hydro License Comments
Published Date: 1/20/2026
Notice
Summary
Brown Bear II Hydro wants to keep running the Worumbo Hydroelectric Project on Maine’s Androscoggin River and just filed for a new license. The public and interested groups have until March 16, 2026, to share their thoughts or raise concerns, with final replies due by April 29. This process helps make sure the project runs safely, protects the environment, and keeps the power flowing smoothly.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Project stays run‑of‑river at 98.5 ft
If you live in Maine near the Androscoggin River, Brown Bear II Hydro proposes to keep the Worumbo Project operating in run-of-river mode at a normal maximum pond elevation of 98.5 feet NGVD29. The company says it will provide seasonal minimum flows downstream to help migratory fish and will not build new project structures at this time.
Fish passage operation schedule set
If you fish or manage habitat in Maine, the applicant proposes specific fish passage schedules: the vertical fish lift will operate from when the upstream Brunswick project's fishway opens or May 1 (whichever is earlier) until November 15 each year, and downstream passage facilities would operate from April 1 through December 31 each year, as conditions allow. These schedules are part of the new license filing now ready for environmental review.
Company seeks to run Lisbon Falls Fishing Park
Brown Bear Hydro proposes to assume operation and maintenance responsibility for Lisbon Falls Fishing Park and asks the Commission to modify the project boundary to include that facility. If approved, local visitors and anglers in Maine may see the park become part of the Worumbo Project's managed recreation facilities.
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