Abstract
AbstractThe Penobscot River basin, covering approximately 22,265 km2, is the largest river wholly within Maine and the second largest river system in New England. The Penobscot River Restoration Project (PRRP) is a multimillion‐dollar endeavor that aims to restore native sea‐run fish through the removal of two main‐stem dams and improved fish passage at a third dam on the Penobscot River. We used geographical information systems, accounts of historic ranges, and barrier survey data to estimate species‐specific distributions and habitat accessibility for 11 diadromous species before and after the proposed restoration. We predict a range of outcomes in terms of expected distribution and accessibility that are largely based on habitat use and life history differences. For 4 out of 11 species (Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus, shortnose sturgeon A. brevirostrum, Atlantic tomcod Microgadus tomcod, and striped bass Morone saxatillis), the PRRP is anticipated to provide access to 100% of their historic freshwater habitat. However, for alewives Alosa pseudoharengus, approximately 69% of the historic spawning and rearing habitat will remain inaccessible due to the presence of other passage barriers. Our results demonstrate that the PRRP is an important step toward ecosystem recovery in the Penobscot River basin but that other restoration activities will be needed to realize the full potential of the PRRP, particularly for alosines. Further, our results provide the first spatial analysis of diadromous fish distribution and access following the PRRP and serve as the baseline for developing a guiding image for expected diadromous fish population responses following the dam removals.Received March 21, 2011; accepted August 21, 2011
Highlights
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Maine Field Station, 17 Godfrey Drive, Suite 1, Orono, Maine 04473, USA
Our results demonstrate that the Penobscot River Restoration Project (PRRP) is an important step toward ecosystem recovery in the Penobscot River basin but that other restoration activities will be needed to realize the full potential of the PRRP, for alosines
Distribution Our results show that diadromous fish distributions in the Penobscot River will range from 53% to 100% of historic ranges post-PRRP (Table 1; Figure 2)
Summary
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Maine Field Station, 17 Godfrey Drive, Suite 1, Orono, Maine 04473, USA. We used geographical information systems, accounts of historic ranges, and barrier survey data to estimate species-specific distributions and habitat accessibility for 11 diadromous species before and after the proposed restoration. The historic declines and consequent low abundances in contemporary diadromous populations ( for Atlantic salmon in Maine) are largely attributable to the construction and operation of dams (Cutting 1959; NRC 2004; Gephard 2008). In response to the declines in diadromous fish populations, both small-scale (e.g., fishway installations; see Havey 1961) and large-scale restoration efforts (e.g., the removal of Edwards Dam; see Casper et al 2006) have been undertaken to enhance stocks in the Northeast. The other four criteria are ecosystem improvement, increased resiliency, no lasting harm, and ecological assessment
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