Wiscasset has reinitiated conversation about the future of the dam on the Montsweag Dam Preserve. Since accepting the 22-acre parcel from Central Maine Power Co., Wiscasset has debated whether to repair the dam or remove it to improve fish passage and restore the natural ecology of the area.
Still a long way from making a final decision, the Wiscasset Board of Selectmen voted 3-1 at its Oct. 20 meeting to hire a consultant to conduct an ecological characterization of the property. Approximately $2,500 from an account established by CMP for stewardship of the property will be used to hire Janet McMahon to prepare a description of the preserve’s ecosystem.
McMahon will not be able to begin work on the project until the summer, Wiscasset Conservation Commission Chairman Anne Leslie said. However, approval of the funds will enable Wiscasset to reserve her services and complete a study that is beyond the expertise of the commission members, Leslie said.
The study will be one of the factors considered by the commission as it determines whether to recommend the removal or repair of the Montsweag dam. According to a report from environmental engineering firm Wright Pierce, the dam is in need of repairs. The report initiated conversation about whether the dam should be repaired or removed.
The major factor to be taken into consideration is the cost associated with removal of the dam. According to Town Planner Jamel Torres, estimates of the costs are not yet available. Once available, those estimates may end the debate that has been on Wiscasset’s back burner since it took ownership of the property.
Wiscasset accepted the parcel from CMP in 2013, in part because the impoundment creates an important water source for the Wiscasset Fire Department, with a dry hydrant located at the north end of the reservoir. According to a memo composed by Leslie for selectmen, the fire chief recently reiterated the department’s interest in maintaining the reservoir.
Despite the early stage of the conversation, a resident in attendance at the Oct. 20 meeting also spoke out against the dam’s removal and questioned the study stating the dam was in need of repair.
Removal of the dam, however, would improve the fish passage of Atlantic salmon, an endangered species, and other fish species, such as American eel, sea-run brook trout, and alewives. Removal would also enable wetlands to re-grow and improve wildlife habitation, sediment retention, and shoreline stabilization, according to a draft management plan for the preserve.
The Chewonki Foundation removed the only other dam on Montsweag Brook, approximately 2.5 miles south of the remaining dam, in 2010. There was previous discussion of the Chewonki Foundation taking control of the property from CMP and removing the upper dam, which did not occur.
The Wiscasset Conservation Commission has been in the process of drafting a management plan for the property to submit to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection since Wiscasset accepted the parcel. In addition to the issues surrounding the dam, the management plan will outline how to improve access to and use of the property for recreational purposes.
According to Torres, there will be a meeting with the public works director within a week to discuss creating a pull-off area to create parking for the preserve and to create better signage for it. A trail is planned for the property to increase public access to it, Leslie said. However, the trail and the dam will be considered two separate issues as the projects on the property progress, Torres said.
Selectman Jeff Slack thanked Leslie profusely for her work and for reinitiating the conversation about the future of the dam. “This is bringing it back to life for me,” Slack said. Slack, however, was the only opposing vote to approving the use of funds to hire an ecological consultant.
Slack said he did not feel ready to make a decision because he had just read through the commission’s reports and wanted more time to digest the information.
