Melissa Cote is the Sheepscot River watershed manager at Midcoast Conservancy.

Every year since the federal Atlantic Salmon Recovery Plan was released in 2019, the agencies charged with recovering the endangered species have issued an annual report. And every year, the same line appears: “The Sheepscot River has not displayed any major changes in adult returns.” 

“Adult returns” refers to the number of adult salmon that journey from their ocean feeding grounds back to their natal rivers to spawn, which is one of the key measures of population health. While the statement may seem discouraging, in the case of the Sheepscot, it speaks to something else entirely: resilience.

Maine is the only state in the U.S. that still has wild populations of Atlantic salmon. As sea-run fish, salmon require free-flowing rivers to migrate between the freshwater habitat where they are born and the ocean where they mature. After hatching in the gravel of riverbeds, juvenile salmon spend their first few years of life in freshwater before migrating to the North Atlantic’s waters as far as the coast of Greenland. Years later, the adult fish return to their natal rivers to complete their lifecycle. Salmon are widely considered harbingers of river health, as they require cold, clean, oxygenated water to thrive. 

The Sheepscot River — a modest, 58-mile-long coastal river tucked between the mighty Kennebec and Penobscot river systems — is one of a handful of rivers in Maine that still support naturally spawning Atlantic salmon. Despite its smaller size, the Sheepscot plays a vital role in the path to Atlantic salmon recovery in Maine. 

One reason for this is that the Sheepscot is one of only seven U.S. rivers with a genetically distinct population of Atlantic salmon. These fish are uniquely adapted to the local conditions in the river. The survival of this population is critical to preserving the genetic diversity of the species, and therefore, its recovery. 

Of those seven remnant salmon populations, the Sheepscot is the most southern and potentially the most tolerant of rising water temperatures. Midcoast Conservancy’s long-term water quality monitoring has shown an increasing trend in water temperature at several locations in the river since 2010. The Sheepscot is also considered the most “urban” of the salmon rivers, with the highest density of year-round roads. Roads often indicate development, which can contribute excessive sediment to the river, burying gravel and degrading the salmon habitat. 

The most recent annual report on Atlantic salmon recovery repeats that familiar line: “The Sheepscot River has not exhibited any significant changes in adult returns over the past decade.” In other words, despite habitat threats like rising water temperatures and development pressures, salmon are still surviving and still returning to the Sheepscot. 

Because the Sheepscot is home to the southernmost genetically distinct population of salmon, we often think about this river as “holding the line” for the species. Yet, even though the population in the Sheepscot has proven to be resilient, it remains critically low. In the fall of 2024, an estimated 16 adults returned to spawn. 

That is why Midcoast Conservancy and its partners are working on land conservation and river restoration projects throughout the Sheepscot watershed to help recover this iconic and ecologically important species. This work not only benefits salmon, but other native species and the rich biodiversity of the ecosystem. 

Land conservation helps to protect riparian areas — the vegetated areas adjacent to the river that play an outsized role in water quality. Forested buffers, for example, filter runoff and provide shade to keep the river cool and oxygenated. For landowners on any river, maintaining a healthy riparian buffer is one of the most important actions they can take.

Fish passage in the Sheepscot is considered largely restored thanks to years of work by the Atlantic Salmon Federation and partners, including Midcoast Conservancy. With this improved connectivity, we’re now working to restore the instream habitat.

Midcoast Conservancy currently has two such projects underway, which focus on reintroducing large wood structures and boulders that were historically removed during the log drive era. Adding large wood jams, trees and boulders improves the instream habitat conditions for salmon, brook trout, sea lamprey and brook floater mussels, as well as many other species like macroinvertebrates. 

Atlantic salmon face many challenges on the path to recovery, but the Sheepscot River offers a reason for hope that this resilient species will someday thrive once again. With increased education, strong public support and continued collaborative conservation efforts, we look forward to the day that the annual report doesn’t repeat that familiar line, but replaces it with evidence of a population on the rise. 

“Nature Connects” is a monthly column showcasing conservation stories from people and organizations across Maine. To learn more or suggest story ideas, email [email protected].