What’s going on in your (water)shed? | Column
Friends of Merrymeeting Bay Sues State Over Androscoggin River Classification
The Friends of Merrymeeting Bay has taken the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to federal court, alleging the agency has failed to properly protect water quality on a stretch of the Androscoggin River that testing shows meets higher standards than its current classification allows.
The organization filed the lawsuit on June 18, challenging what it calls the DEP's misuse of the Clean Water Act's antidegradation policy. At the heart of the dispute is a roughly 20-mile section of the Androscoggin between the Worumbo and Gulf Island Pond dams, which has consistently tested at or near Class B water quality standards.
Under Maine law, the legislature holds the authority to upgrade water body classifications through a review process that occurs every three years. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection serves as the DEP's supervisory board and makes recommendations to lawmakers on such matters.
According to the lawsuit, water quality in that stretch of the Androscoggin has improved to the point where it should be reclassified from Class C to Class B. However, the DEP has resisted making that recommendation, citing hypothetical scenarios involving maximum licensed discharges and extreme weather events that have never actually occurred.
The consequence of keeping the river at its lower classification, the Friends argue, is that it provides industrial and municipal discharge permit holders with additional legal capacity to release pollutants. Because the water technically remains Class C, any degradation that stays within those limits is considered acceptable under the current classification system.
"What that means practically is that businesses and municipalities, who hold discharge licenses, have added room to pollute legally," the organization stated.
The lawsuit contends this situation inverts the core purpose of the Clean Water Act, which aims to improve water quality and prevent environmental backsliding by steadily tightening standards. Instead, the failure to reclassify the river has created what FOMB describes as a mechanism for increased pollution.
The case carries implications beyond Maine's borders, potentially affecting how states handle similar water quality determinations under federal environmental law.
Community Forum to Explore Fish Passage Options at Brunswick Dam
A free public panel discussion will be held September 15 at 5 p.m. to examine potential designs for restoring fish passage at the Brunswick Dam, a hydroelectric facility that has blocked migratory fish from accessing upstream habitat for more than a century.
The event is sponsored by Free The Andro, a nonprofit organization working to reconnect the Androscoggin River ecosystem through improved fish passage during the dam's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing process.
The panel will feature three technical experts: Bina Skordas, senior project manager and climate and watershed solutions lead at FB Environmental; Brett Towler, a fish passage engineer with Gomez and Sullivan representing dam owner Brookfield Renewable Partners; and Nate Gray, sea-run fisheries and habitat biologist for the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Chip Spies, founder of Free The Andro, will moderate the discussion and coordinate questions from the audience.
"The panel discussion brings together experts to help our community understand different solutions for improving fish passage and the key considerations involved in implementing them," Spies said. "We hope participants leave with a clearer perspective on what is possible and how we can get there."
The forum aims to educate the public about various engineering approaches to fish passage, recognizing that each dam and river system presents unique challenges for migratory species attempting to move upstream.
Mere Brook Restoration Project Set to Begin This Spring
A collaborative effort to improve habitat in Brunswick's Mere Brook will get underway this spring, with the town of Brunswick partnering with Trout Unlimited on infrastructure upgrades that will benefit both the stream ecosystem and fish populations.
The project involves replacing the dam and bridge at Coffin Ice Pond's base, where the stream exits the pond. Below that location, crews will construct a natural fishway designed to allow fish living downstream to access habitat upstream of the dam for the first time.
The work represents the latest phase in ongoing efforts to restore the brook, which carries an official "urban-impaired" designation from environmental regulators.
Those interested in contributing to the brook's health can take action closer to home. The Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District offers resources on its Yardscaping website, providing guidance on reducing fertilizer and pesticide use, improving soil health, and maintaining yards in ways that protect nearby waterways.
The district notes that individual property owners, and particularly homeowner associations or residential developments that adopt watershed-friendly practices, can make a meaningful difference in water quality.
Sandy Stott, chairperson of Brunswick's Conservation Commission and the steering committee overseeing Mere Brook restoration, emphasized the connection between human activities and stream health.
"The health of all of these connects directly to all the lives dependent on these lands and waters," Stott said. "Connecting and supporting those fish-lives promises a healthier, livelier stream."
