Presumpscot River Stakeholders Plan: The Future of a Changing River Prepared by

1. Presumpscot River Stakeholders Plan: The Future of a Changing River Prepared by The Presumpscot River Plan Steering Committee With Funding and Assistance from: Casco Bay Estuary Project and EPA Region 1

2. Intro: Background • Casco Bay Estuary Project for Presumpscott River initiated in the Spring of 2000 • Largest freshwater resource to Casco Bay • Presumpscot was the site of Maine’s first pulp mill, first hydroelectric project, only significant canal and largest gunpowder mill, no other river in Maine has had virtually all its hydraulic head captured behind dams • Impact from dams on fisheries has been a concern since the 1700’s, by 1950’s the condition of the river reached its all time low, treatment plants reduced pollutant discharges following Clean Water Act but non-point sources of pollution increased • Interest started in 1992 when Maine Department of Inland Fisheries successfully reestablished a trout and salmon fishery just below Sebago Lake and after plans for the removal of Smelt Hill Dam and improvements in water quality from cessation of SAPPI Fine Paper’s pulp mill. Development pressure increased after removal of the pulp mill since the stench and unattractiveness of living near a pulp mill was also removed. • Originates at Sebago Lake; Maine’s second largest lake, supplies greater Portland area with water, originally the river was a rushing river with many falls and rapids, abundant fish life, now it is slow moving and does not support as much wildlife • Focus on Presumpscot River and adjacent river corridor lands and some tributaries, does not address Sebago Lake levels

3. Sebago Lake 27 miles long Casco Bay

4. Deepest lake in New England, one of the cleanest in the state Removed in 2002

5. Problems Clearing of land and draining or filling wetlands for agriculture: 16% of the land is farmland Timber harvesting for fuel wood, lumber, shipbuilding, pulp and paper Extraction of sand and gravel Development of settlements Construction of roads, canals, railroads Industrial development, dams for power Use by industries and municipitalities for waste disposal

6. Impacts to Water Resources • 8 dams: fragmented habitat, fast flowing water converted to impoundments, anadromous fish blocked • 5 waste water discharges: reduce water quality • 31% of lower watershed is now developed • 16% of lower watershed is agricultural • Flow regimes altered

7. Changes in Water Quality • Basin was originally forested, original water quality was very similar to Sebago Lake, its source • In 2001, Portland Water District’s draft of the Lake report noted that Lake Sebago has outstanding water quality • Impacts of waste discharges, watershed development, and damming include: • Increased TSS, increased dissolved solids, lowered DO, increased bacteria levels, shift to pollution-tolerant organisms, elevated temperature • Below Westbrook, 60% chance of meeting Class B for WQS for aquatic life

8. Changes in Aquatic Habitat • Increased temperature from development and slowing of water, switch from native cold water species (trout) to warm non-native species (bass) • Sedimentation: aquatic community shifts to organisms more tolerant of turbid water, overall abundance of organisms decreases

9. Put and take salmon and trout fishery The rest is only suitable for bass and panfish

10. Also impacts on wetlands, terrestrial resources, endangered species and estuarine habitat • Reduction in diversity and productivity or floodplain from less frequent flooding • Loss of wetlands from draining • Fragmentation of wildlife travel corridors, reduction of wildlife populations • Loss of habitat for endangered species

11. The Steering Committee • Presumpscot River Management Plan Steering Committee composed of federal, state, and local government agencies, businesses, conservation organizations and other interested groups • Goal: to work cooperatively to develop a plan for the future of the river, and to develop recommendations that work for all interests • Purposes: • 1. to develop a comprehensive and unified plan with management objectives to guide future actions and decision that impact the river • 2. to identify opportunities for supporting continued improvements to the health of the river and its tributaries, and for capitalizing in the potential of a healthy river ecosystem for providing a diversity if public benefits, including recreational, educational and economic benefits; in balance with the benefits of renewable hydropower energy

12. Focus Areas • Cumulative Impacts to the River • Fisheries Conditions and Opportunities • Open Space Conditions and Opportunities • Steering Committee worked for 2 years to develop information and proposed objectives for these focus areas

13. Cumulative Impacts to Environmental Conditions on the Presumpscot River and its Shorelands: Options for addressing Cumulative Impacts

14. Options for addressing cumulative impacts

24. Protecting and Enhancing Open Space Along the Presumpscot River • Open space is what Maine has going for it! Important to the Maine way of life. • Presumpscot is in a part of Maine that is losing open space at a rapid rate • Protecting open space is critical for: • Fish and aquatic life. Riparian open space filter runoff from the land, protects waters from sedimentation, maintains cool water temperatures, and contributes organic matter to the aquatic food base • Wildlife: Riparian open space provides habitat used by 80% of Maine’s terrestrial vertebrate species at some time during their lifestyle

25. Wildlife and Fish Habitat Values • Well vegetated open space corridors along river or stream have special value as wildlife habitat: • A unique edge habitat • Importance to aquatic habitats • Importance to birds • Dear yards • 80% if Maine’s terrestrial vertebrate wildlife species use riparian areas to meet their habitat needs at some point in their life • Coalition of planning and conservation organizations: Maine Audobon Society, Maine Department of Conservation, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine State Planning Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wells National Estuarine Research Office, Maine Coastal Program, USGS, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, and The Nature Conservancy

27. Maine already has a lot of open space: a rare opportunity for preservation

29. Open Space for Recreation • Boating, canoeing, kayaking • Swimming • Fishing • Hunting • Wildlife observation and bird watching • Walking • Bicycling • Skiing and snowshoeing • Historical study • Educational activities • Snowmobiling • Enjoying the peace and quiet! • Communing with nature • Spiritual renewal!!

30. Methods to Preserve Open Space

31. Methods to preserve open space

32. Methods to preserve open space

33. Recommendations and Strategies: identified by steering committee

34. Visions for the Future • As far at Cumberland Mills Dam could supports runs of 13,000 shad, 78,000 blueback herring, 20 to 100 Atlantic Salmon and up to 20,000 alewives • Most of the area remains undeveloped, extensive opportunities to preserve open space, time is limited as development pressure is increasing