On May 26-28 hundreds of guests and locals enjoyed the Fifth Annual Fish Ladder Restoration Festival at Damariscotta Mills.
“It was a wonderful weekend because the fish showed up in great numbers,” said visitor Paul Nelson, of Brattleboro, Vt., with his daughter Marianne, 6, agreeing.
The young girl was particularly delighted with the antics of the seagulls. “The sea birds were swooping and fighting over the fish. They were very funny,” she said.
The festival setting was rustic and charming. Amidst the fragrance of newly blooming lilacs, the rumble of passing traffic and children laughing merged with the sights and sounds of waterfalls, osprey, seagull, and songbirds’ calls.
From an alewife’s perspective, the ongoing fish ladder restoration is a great success. The improved waterflow prevents the alewives from getting stuck between the stones, as in the past. More fish successfully making their way to the lake and stream to spawn, means healthier stocks and more alewives for harvest as well as greater numbers overall.
The restoration of the fish ladder was critical to the health of the Damariscotta River alewife stocks. Alewives are an important part of the food chain and they contribute to the health of the lakes.
The Towns of Newcastle and Nobleboro have harvested alewives since the 1700s and they carefully monitor the Damariscotta River alewife stock.
All funds received for harvested alewives now pay to maintain and restore the fish ladder and harvesting area, added to the fundraising efforts still ongoing as well.
The success of the restoration is apparent in the widened passageway for the annual return of the alewives to their breeding grounds. Local marine biologist David Gale said, “The water flow is now highly efficient.”
Vendors on hand sold smoked alewives, considered a delicacy, along with numerous other foods. Kids of all ages participated in games and enjoyed the music provided by different groups throughout the three-day “fish festival.”
A group of young actors from Rhode Island, in the area to perform locally, were very impressed and had a glorious time.
“We walked down from the very top and I was really amazed at the way the fish fight to climb,” said Rob Roy.
“It was kind of inspiring,” said Yelena Gorteya, originally from Moscow, “it reminds me how we all have instincts to fight to survive.”
“We loved the music, and Rob ate everything he could find,” said Kaity Menard. “He could barely stay awake on the road back to the theater. It was a miracle he could perform!”
The antique car show drew an appreciative crowd, with John Harris offering rides around the Mills in his antique car.
With a lovely art show and beautiful creations for sale at the Church in the Mills, the Fifth Annual Fish Ladder Restoration had something for every taste.
Joy Knowlton, who manned a booth at the festival, summed it up, and said, “This crowd is very enthusiastic. This three-day event allows many volunteers to help, which means we add more support each year and we develop even greater resources. Alewives are very important to the marine environment. Everything revolves around the circle of life.”
