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List of dam removals in Maine

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Excavators removing the Veazie Dam on the Penobscot River in 2013.

This is a list of dams in Maine that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.

Completed removals

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Dam[1] Height Year removed Location Watercourse Watershed Notes
Little River Dam 2009 Lisbon
43°59′40″N 70°03′01″W / 43.9944°N 70.0502°W / 43.9944; -70.0502 (Little River Dam)
Little River Androscoggin River
Farnsworth Dam 13 ft (4.0 m) 2019 Lisbon
44°01′16″N 70°05′31″W / 44.0211°N 70.092°W / 44.0211; -70.092 (Farnsworth Dam)
Sabattus River Woolen mill dam.
Upper River Dam (Upper Town Dam) 8 ft (2.4 m) 2022 Lisbon
44°01′58″N 70°06′14″W / 44.0329°N 70.104°W / 44.0329; -70.104 (Upper River Dam (Upper Town Dam))
Timber mill dam owned by the Town of Lisbon.
Unnamed remnant dam 2010 Washburn
46°46′52″N 68°09′31″W / 46.7811°N 68.1587°W / 46.7811; -68.1587
Salmon Brook Aroostook River
Washburn Mill Pond Dam 2014 Washburn
46°47′31″N 68°09′26″W / 46.792°N 68.1571°W / 46.792; -68.1571 (Washburn Mill Pond Dam)
Dam built for recreation, owned by the Town of Washburn.
Unnamed remnant dam 2013 Riley Township
44°30′05″N 70°55′17″W / 44.5014°N 70.9213°W / 44.5014; -70.9213
Sunday River
Wight's Pond Dam 3 ft (0.91 m) 2017 Penobscot
44°27′04″N 68°40′27″W / 44.4511°N 68.6742°W / 44.4511; -68.6742 (Wight's Pond Dam)
Winslow Stream Bagaduce River Pond level dam owned by the Town of Penobscot, Maine. The dam was replaced with a fish passage to allow alewife to access the pond for spawning.[2]
Smelt Brook Dam 2018 Sullivan
44°30′18″N 68°09′41″W / 44.5049°N 68.1614°W / 44.5049; -68.1614 (Smelt Brook Dam)
Smelt Brook Frenchman Bay Dam created a trout pond. Owned by the Downeast Salmon Federation.
Kate Furbish Dam 13 ft (4.0 m) 2016 Brunswick
43°51′58″N 69°56′04″W / 43.8661°N 69.9345°W / 43.8661; -69.9345 (Kate Furbish Dam)
Tributary to Harpswell Cove Harpswell Sound
Edwards Dam 24 ft (7.3 m) 1999 Augusta
44°19′30″N 69°46′11″W / 44.3249°N 69.7697°W / 44.3249; -69.7697 (Edwards Dam)
Kennebec River Kennebec River This hydroelectric dam was removed after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission refused to renew its license, marking the first time the federal government ordered the removal of a dam against the wishes of its owners.[3]
Lombard Dam 2018 Vassalboro
44°27′49″N 69°36′50″W / 44.4637°N 69.614°W / 44.4637; -69.614 (Lombard Dam)
Outlet Stream
Masse Dam 17 ft (5.2 m) 2017 Vassalboro
44°27′07″N 69°36′25″W / 44.4519°N 69.607°W / 44.4519; -69.607 (Masse Dam)
Sawmill dam.
Morneau Remnants Dam 6 ft (1.8 m) 2021 Vassalboro
44°27′25″N 69°36′32″W / 44.4569°N 69.6088°W / 44.4569; -69.6088 (Morneau Remnants Dam)
Sawmill dam.
Madison Electric Dam 2006 Starks
44°43′53″N 69°53′53″W / 44.7313°N 69.8981°W / 44.7313; -69.8981 (Madison Electric Dam)
Sandy River Hydropower dam owned by Madison Electric Works.
Fort Halifax Dam 2008 Winslow
44°32′21″N 69°37′33″W / 44.5391°N 69.6258°W / 44.5391; -69.6258 (Fort Halifax Dam)
Sebasticook River
Main Street Dam 2002 Newport
44°50′07″N 69°16′19″W / 44.8352°N 69.272°W / 44.8352; -69.272 (Main Street Dam)
East Branch Sebasticook River
Mill Dam 2000 Corinna
44°55′19″N 69°15′39″W / 44.9219°N 69.2609°W / 44.9219; -69.2609 (Mill Dam)
Archer's Mill Dam 12 ft (3.7 m) 1999 Stetson
44°53′15″N 69°08′16″W / 44.8876°N 69.1379°W / 44.8876; -69.1379 (Archer's Mill Dam)
Stetson Stream National Inventory of Dams ID ME00402.
Walton's Mill Dam 16 ft (4.9 m) 2022 Farmington
44°39′37″N 70°09′57″W / 44.6602°N 70.1658°W / 44.6602; -70.1658 (Walton's Mill Dam)
Temple Stream Mill dam owned by the Town of Farmington. National Inventory of Dams ID ME00123.
Goff Mill Brook Dam 4 ft (1.2 m) 2015 Arundel Goff Mill Brook Kennebunk River
East Machias Dam 2000 East Machias
44°44′20″N 67°23′20″W / 44.7389°N 67.3889°W / 44.7389; -67.3889 (East Machias Dam)
East Machias River Machias River Hydropower dam owned by the Town of East Machias.
Canaan Lake Outlet Dam 1999 North Washington
44°58′00″N 67°46′30″W / 44.9667°N 67.7749°W / 44.9667; -67.7749 (Canaan Lake Outlet Dam)
Old Stream
Northern Stream Rock Dam 2020 East Machias
44°58′33″N 67°31′16″W / 44.9759°N 67.521°W / 44.9759; -67.521 (Northern Stream Rock Dam)
Northern Stream
West Winterport Dam 16 ft (4.9 m) 2010 Winterport and Frankfort
44°37′07″N 68°57′29″W / 44.6185°N 68.958°W / 44.6185; -68.958 (West Winterport Dam)
Marsh Stream Penobscot River
Bangor Dam 4 ft (1.2 m) 1995 Bangor
44°48′36″N 68°44′30″W / 44.8101°N 68.7417°W / 44.8101; -68.7417 (Bangor Dam)
Penobscot River
Great Works Dam 20 ft (6.1 m) 2012 Old Town
44°55′15″N 68°37′55″W / 44.9207°N 68.6319°W / 44.9207; -68.6319 (Great Works Dam)
Hydropower dam.
Veazie Dam 30 ft (9.1 m) 2013 Veazie and Eddington
44°49′57″N 68°42′03″W / 44.8325°N 68.7008°W / 44.8325; -68.7008 (Veazie Dam)
Hydropower dam owned by the PPL Corporation.
Brownville Dam 12 ft (3.7 m) 1999 Brownville
45°18′23″N 69°02′04″W / 45.3064°N 69.0344°W / 45.3064; -69.0344 (Brownville Dam)
Pleasant River (Piscataquis River tributary)
Lower Sedgeunkedunk Dam 2009 Brewer
44°45′55″N 68°46′47″W / 44.7652°N 68.7798°W / 44.7652; -68.7798 (Lower Sedgeunkedunk Dam)
Sedgeunkedunk Stream
Grist Mill Dam 14 ft (4.3 m) 1998 Hampden
44°44′55″N 68°49′58″W / 44.7487°N 68.8329°W / 44.7487; -68.8329 (Grist Mill Dam)
Souadabscook Stream
Hampden Recreation Area Dam 2 ft (0.61 m) 1999
Mast Point Dam 1997 Berwick
43°17′13″N 70°53′54″W / 43.287°N 70.8982°W / 43.287; -70.8982 (Mast Point Dam)
Salmon Falls River Piscataqua River
Shoreys Brook Dam 18 ft (5.5 m) 2011 South Berwick and Eliot
43°10′53″N 70°49′08″W / 43.1813°N 70.8189°W / 43.1813; -70.8189 (Shoreys Brook Dam)
Shoreys Brook
Columbia Falls Dam 9 ft (2.7 m) 1988 Steuben
44°39′11″N 67°43′38″W / 44.6531°N 67.7273°W / 44.6531; -67.7273 (Columbia Falls Dam)
Pleasant River (Pleasant Bay) Pleasant River (Pleasant Bay)
Smelt Hill Dam 2002 Falmouth
43°43′06″N 70°16′09″W / 43.7183°N 70.2693°W / 43.7183; -70.2693 (Smelt Hill Dam)
Presumpscot River Presumpscot River
Saccarappa Dam 1 (east) 12 ft (3.7 m) 2019 Westbrook
43°40′40″N 70°22′10″W / 43.6779°N 70.3695°W / 43.6779; -70.3695 (Saccarappa Dam 1 (east))
Hydroelectric dams owned by Sappi North America/S. D. Warren Co.
Saccarappa Dam 2 (west) 12 ft (3.7 m) 2019 Westbrook
43°40′44″N 70°22′09″W / 43.6789°N 70.3692°W / 43.6789; -70.3692 (Saccarappa Dam 2 (west))
Swett Brook Dam 4 ft (1.2 m) 2013 Waterford
44°15′24″N 70°43′39″W / 44.2566°N 70.7274°W / 44.2566; -70.7274 (Swett Brook Dam)
Swett Brook Water storage dam owned by the Portland Pipe Line Corporation.
Randall Mill Dam 10 ft (3.0 m) 2013 Pownal
43°55′47″N 70°11′28″W / 43.9297°N 70.191°W / 43.9297; -70.191 (Randall Mill Dam)
Chandler Brook Royal River Sawmill dam.
Unnamed dam 2012 Yarmouth
43°48′19″N 70°11′19″W / 43.8053°N 70.1885°W / 43.8053; -70.1885
Royal River Mill dam.
Milltown Dam 42 ft (13 m) 2023 Calais
45°10′33″N 67°17′34″W / 45.1759°N 67.2929°W / 45.1759; -67.2929 (Milltown Dam)
St. Croix River St. Croix River
Sennebec Dam 15 ft (4.6 m) 2002 Union
44°14′12″N 69°16′42″W / 44.2367°N 69.2782°W / 44.2367; -69.2782 (Sennebec Dam)
Saint George River Saint George River Dam had raised the natural water level on Sennebec Pond, and was replaced with a fish ramp that maintained the level while opening 17 miles (27 km) of the Saint George River and 1,100 acres (450 ha) of lake habitat to fish passage. This was the last man-made barrier on the Saint George River.[4]
Martin Brook Upper Dam 2010 Madawaska
47°20′43″N 68°19′53″W / 47.3453°N 68.3315°W / 47.3453; -68.3315 (Martin Brook Upper Dam)
Martin Brook Saint John River
Sherman Lake Dam 2008 New Castle
44°00′41″N 69°35′52″W / 44.0115°N 69.5979°W / 44.0115; -69.5979 (Sherman Lake Dam)
Marsh River Sheepscot River
Lower Montsweag Dam 35 ft (11 m) 2010 Wiscasset
43°58′07″N 69°43′13″W / 43.9686°N 69.7202°W / 43.9686; -69.7202 (Lower Montsweag Dam)
Montsweag Brook Dam was built to create an emergency water source for the Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant.
Head Tide Dam 15 ft (4.6 m) 2019 Alna
44°06′54″N 69°37′23″W / 44.1149°N 69.623°W / 44.1149; -69.623 (Head Tide Dam)
Sheepscot River Former grist mill dam owned by the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Town of Alna. The dam was partially removed and replaced with an elevated platform to allow for fish passage.[5]
Coopers Mill Dam 20 ft (6.1 m) 2018 Whitefield
44°15′31″N 69°33′02″W / 44.2587°N 69.5506°W / 44.2587; -69.5506 (Coopers Mill Dam)
Owned by the Town of Whitefield.

References

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  1. ^ "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare. American Rivers. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  2. ^ Rappaport, Stephen (15 August 2017). "Crews begin removing Wight Pond dam". The Ellsworth American. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  3. ^ "The River Runs Free" (PDF). Maine State Planning Office, State House Section 38, Augusta, Maine. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  4. ^ "Sennebec Dam Removal Union, Maine" (PDF). NOAA Community-based Restoration Program. 2003. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  5. ^ Clifford, Jessica (7 November 2019). "Head Tide Dam Project a 'Gift That's Going to Outlive Us All'". The Lincoln County News. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
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