Penobscot River, ME

The Penobscot River Restoration Trust, of which American Rivers is a founding member, has been working toward removing Penebscot’s outdated dams for several years. Removing the Penobscot’s two lowermost dams and installing fish passage on a third will restore access to roughly 1,000 miles of habitat for the river’s fish, making this project one of the most significant dam removal efforts ever.

Thanks to a ground-breaking collaboration, the river will soon be a model for what we hope to achieve on other major rivers across the country: improved health, restored fish and wildlife, balanced energy production, and communities revitalized by new recreation and economic opportunities.  

We are getting closer and closer to making the vision of a free flowing Penobscot a reality. In August 2008, the Trust announced that it had raised $25 million in public and private funds for the purpose of purchasing three dams (Veazie, Great Works, and Howland dams).  In July 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that $6.1 million in stimulus funds will go to the removal of the Great Works Dam. In December 2010, Penobscot River Restoration Trust officially took ownership of the three dams and has all of the federal and state permits needed to complete the project.

The Penobscot River restoration is truly a collaborative effort. We would not be where we are today without the strong and diverse partnership involving the Penobscot Indian Nation, federal, state and local levels of government, corporations, conservation organizations, private foundations and individual donors. 

American Rivers named the Penobscot, New England’s second largest river, as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ every year from 1989 to 1996 because of existing or proposed dams. We look forward to the day when we can declare the Penobscot "Most Improved."

Learn more:

• Penobscot River Restoration Project