The fish ladder at the Brunswick hydroelectric dam reopened Friday after a debris jam forced its closure for nearly two weeks.
The jam formed after an April 29 rainstorm dumped up to 6 inches of rain on the region. State regulations require the ladder be opened each year on May 1 for migratory fish like alewives, blueback herring, American shad, sea lamprey and the endangered Atlantic salmon that use the staircase-like structure to access spawning grounds up the Androscoggin River.
A spokesperson for Brookfield Renewable, which operates the dam, said the company had to wait a week for water levels to recede so workers could safely remove the debris by hand. Overhead powerlines prevented the use of a crane.
The Friends of Merrymeeting Bay — which has advocated for the ladder’s removal, claiming a fish elevator would be more effective — filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the ladder’s delayed opening due to the jam.
The ladder stays open each year through Oct. 31.
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