Osprey are one of the raptors that frequent the alewife run in Damariscotta Mills. (Photo courtesy Ellie Busby)
World Fish Migration Day is a global awareness campaign celebrated every two years to highlight the connections that migratory fishes have with human and non-human species, lands, and waters.
This year on Saturday, May 23, World Fish Migration Day will be marked by worldwide celebrations and events and nowhere will this be more evident than at the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder.
The Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder connects alewives from the sea to Damariscotta Lake for their annual spawning migration. Well known to osprey, eagles, herons, and gulls, the alewife run is an essential component of a flourishing natural environment. An extra benefit is that the fish ladder is also a fun and beautiful place to visit.
Throughout May, there are a number of events to support the fish ladder, including a 5K run/walk on May 23, a raffle for a beautiful quilt, and the sale of alewife T-shirts, hats, and other fish ladder gear.
In addition, the Adam Ezra Group will be performing at Lincoln Theater on Saturday, May 24. All proceeds from these events are used for the improvement and maintenance of the fish pools and public walkways in and around the ladder.
Alewife T-shirts are a tradition for the fish ladder, with new designs created every year since the fish ladder restoration began in 2007. The 2026 edition, created by Damariscotta Mills artist John Whalley, will be available for purchase in a variety of colors and styles at the fish house on Mills Road on weekends throughout May from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, alewife mugs, hats and other memorabilia will also be for sale. Customers should bring cash and personal checks.
The quilted wall hanging, created by Betty Lu Brydges, was inspired by an 1857 map of the Damariscotta Mills neighborhood, and is on display in the Skidompha Library atrium. Raffle tickets may be purchased at the front desk for $5 apiece or six for $25. The drawing will be held on Tuesday, Sept 1.
The Run with the Alewives 5K will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 23. Registration is now open at runwiththealewives.com. Started in 2019, this family-friendly run/walk can be competitive or relaxed, depending on personal preference. Cash prizes are awarded to the top finishers in six age categories. Thanks to generous sponsors, there is no registration fee for participants under the age of 14.
Fish ladder docents will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions about alewife migration and harvesting, along with a slide show presentation, and for-purchase fish ladder ice cream.
Every spring more than a million alewives, a herring-family fish that call the Atlantic Ocean their “home town” swim, jump, and splash up the ladder to Damariscotta Lake to spawn. Located on Route 215 on the border between Newcastle and Nobleboro, the fish ladder can be reached by walking past the fish house on Route 215, or by a wooden walkway from Ladd’s Hill Road.
Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works in collaboration with the towns of Nobleboro and Newcastle to maintain, preserve, and improve the historic Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder and working waterfront.
For more information, go to damariscottamills.org or email dmfishladder@gmail.com.
