At first glance, it might not seem like much of a victory: This week the state ruled the Sappi paper mill must install a fish passage at one of nine dams on the Presumpscot River – the Cumberland Mills dam.
For almost a decade, though, that one dam has served as the single biggest obstacle to bringing migratory fish back to the river.
The state made the right decision this week, thanks to years of work by environmental groups like the Friends of the Presumpscot, Friends of Sebago Lake, American Rivers and the Conservation Law Foundation.
A spokeswoman for Sappi said Tuesday the company would work with the state to install the fish passage, which would seem to indicate that the long fight between Sappi and these environmental groups is finally near an end. Given the history of this dispute, however, that’s far from a safe bet.
Sappi has been resisting efforts to get the company to remove dams or install fish passages for years, at one point appealing the state’s ability to regulate dams on rivers all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s been a little more than three years since the country’s high court ruled unanimously in favor of the state, but migratory fish, like Atlantic salmon, shad and alewives, have yet to return to the Presumpscot’s waters.
The Cumberland Mills dam, which isn’t hydroelectric, wasn’t affected by the ruling, and, furthermore, fish passages weren’t required for Sappi’s hydroelectric dams upstream until a fish passage was installed at Cumberland Mills.
Sappi’s reluctance to install fish passages, which can cost millions of dollars per dam, is understandable, but environmental groups have argued that restoring the fish populations to rivers is worth the cost. Investing in fish passages is a fair trade-off for being allowed to harness the power of the river. That’s why they are required as a part of the licenses for many hydroelectric dams.
Sappi and the previous owners of the mill have been profiting from the power generated by the river, which should be a shared public resource. The investment in fish passages would be one way the company could give back to the community for its use of the river. Opening up the river would allow people to fish for species like Atlantic salmon, and it would help maintain healthy fish populations.
If the water can’t flow unimpeded, at least the fish could. It’s time for this long and expensive fight to end, and for migratory fish to return.
Brendan Moran, editor
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