Alewife Fish Ladder Restoration Festival coordinator Deb Wilson of Nobleboro literally beamed with success during a Memorial Day discussion of the first two days of the three-day event in Damariscotta Mills.
“The first day, [Saturday] the generosity was amazing, and the numbers are at about $8400, with yesterday [Sunday] not far behind that at about $8100,” she said. “After Memorial Day, which will be quieter, we’ll have the total.”
The third year of the event had lots of fish ladder restoration progress to show off. The ladder up at the top is looking beautifully restored, with ample and inviting resting pools in which the alewives gather energy for their upstream climb to the lake to spawn.
“It was alarming what was happening here,” said Wilson of the not-so-distant past. “Before we took on this project, there were only about 150,000 alewives that got up the ladder [to Damariscotta Lake]. After the first year of phased restoration, that number grew to 400,000.”
Wilson emphasized the importance of the restoration festival. “This is our major event,” she said, and Wilson has to be proud of the growth and heightened awareness of the need to assure alewives thrive.
Wilson also raves about the Mills community and all the volunteers. Everybody involved donated hours and hours of time and effort; right down to offering their property for vendor display, or volunteering a garden hose to water and refresh Nick Buck’s wagon team.
To early festival-goers, volunteers served up wonderful western omelets on grilled English muffins in the morning and yummy hot dogs and burgers in the afternoon. To cool down, kids and families enjoyed newly named Round Top Alewife Fish Eye Pudding ice cream.
For entertainment, Mills Inn owner and volunteer Bobby Whear lined up live, top notch cover bands staged right at the ladder that got the crowds enthused and dancing throughout the three day event.
About the entire project, Wilson is completely encouraged, but very realistic. “This is probably going to be a 10-year effort,” said Wilson. She explained, once the ladder is complete, the fish house and the surrounding areas will have their turn.
There are so many reasons to support the restoration efforts – alewives are essential to the lobster fishing industry, as a food source, fish conservation, and history.
“It is all those things. They are important, but it is also this little, special community here in the Mills,” Wilson said.