In this country over the years, man has alternately worshipped and ruined rivers. He has taken sustenance from them; and he has used them to carry away deadly chemicals and even raw sewage.

The story of our rivers is unfinished. Thankfully, in this post-industrial era we have begun to recognize the folly of damming and polluting these riverine ecosystems. Our enlightenment has spawned significant efforts to clean up our rivers and regard them with the respect they deserve.

The Penobscot River is one of those stories. In the 1830s, when there were no hydro dams on the Penobscot, salmon, shad and alewives traveled 100 miles upriver to Shad Pond in Millinocket, to Island Falls on the Mattawamkeag, and Monson on the Piscataquis. Twenty-pound striped bass ranged as far upriver as Enfield and Howland. Atlantic sturgeon were taken at the falls in Old Town. It is estimated that in the early 1800s the Penobscot produced annual runs of 100,000 salmon and two million shad.

100 years later the Penobscot story began to lose its luster. Industrial pollution and man-made obstacles have just about eliminated these astonishing runs of native sea-run fish. And despite man’s valiant attempt to clean up the Penobscot and help nature restore annual runs of Atlantic salmon, the costly attempts to right our wrongs have produced very small victories and unceremonious frustrations.

And yet, we must press on. When future generations write their own chapters about the Mighty Penobscot, it is important that our own legacy reflect a responsible re-awakening, an indication that we did all we could to help nature apply its miraculous restorative powers upon the Penobscot River.

To this end comes an exciting and dynamic new chapter in this river story: the Penobscot River Restoration Project. In a nutshell this is a $50 million project that would remove two major dams, the Great Works Dam and Veazie Dam, and create a state-of-the-art fish bypass in Howland.

This is a bold undertaking that involves a deal between the dam owners, Pennsylvania Power & Light (PPL) and a coalition of state and federal agencies and private conservation organizations. Under the agreement, the deal must be closed within five years of the signing. The clock is ticking. This October there will be just four years left to come up with the $50 million.

As with so many ambitious restoration projects it is a win-win situation if you can accept the cost factor. Spokesmen for the project say that dam removal will give sea-run fish improved access to 500 miles of historic river habitat. It will create new opportunities for tourism, business and the communities.

Equally important, there will be no appreciable loss of hydropower resources. Additionally, PPL will agree to improve fish passage at the remaining four dams.

The key to implementation of this project of course is raising the $50 million. In the project’s press release there is a somewhat oblique mention of this critical facet of the bold vision. “Funding would likely come from a diverse array of sources,” says the press statement.

According to Andy Goode, a vice president of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and one of the project’s fundraisers, progress is being made, but it is a formidable financial undertaking. “Most of the money will likely come from federal and state sources, but we expect that there will be private donations, as well as some financial assistance from the Penobscot Nation and other members of the Tribal Council. The council has been involved in this project from the beginning,” said Goode.

Goode and others must convince Maine’s congressional delegation of this project’s worth, especially to Maine’s local communities. “We’re slowly building a consensus,” said Goode.

He said that a request for part of the funding package is expected to be included in the 2005 federal appropriations bill this fall.

Goode also notes that there is plenty of precedent for federal funding of major dam removal projects. There is currently a $100 million appropriation that has been approved for dam removal on the Elwha River in the Pacific Northwest.

In the months ahead, as the Penobscot River story continues to unfold, Maine river communities that stand to derive benefits from a more free-flowing river system along the Penobscot drainage would be wise to share their enthusiasm with members of the state’s congressional delegation.

V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is [email protected].