Watersheds Blog
December 12, 2024
The upper Androscoggin watershed is at the core of our conservation vision, comprising 60% of the Rangeley region’s one-million-acre land base. It’s a complex network of lakes and ponds, woven together by hundreds of miles of streams. At the heart of this landscape is the Kennebago River.
Assuming worst-case future climate scenarios, the Kennebago River watershed stands as one of the few places in Maine that could continue to support self-sustaining wild native brook trout populations. Recognizing this, our restoration work has been nothing short of transformative—not only for the ecosystem itself but also for the downstream communities that depend on its health and vitality.
Our restoration work can be summarized into two main project points: reconnecting streams by replacing undersized perched culverts with open-bottom bridges, and in-stream wood additions to help return the river to its natural state.
Reconnecting Upstream Habitat
In 2023, we successfully replaced two undersized culverts with open-bottomed bridges on Otter Brook and Sol Brook reconnecting more than seven miles of upstream habitat. This year, an additional three culverts were replaced with open-bottomed bridges, reconnecting three miles of upstream habitat. Completion of these five bridges has reconnected over 10 miles of high-priority brook trout habitat. We anticipate completing three additional stream-crossing projects in 2025.
Returning The Kennebago River To Its Natural State
Many people do not realize the log-driving days of Rangeley’s past, still impact our environment. Pre-settlement, western Maine’s forest was full of 150+-year-old trees. These mature forests provided shade, regulated water temperatures, and contributed an abundance of wood to Maine’s rivers and streams.
Beginning in the 18th century, many northeast rivers, including the Kennebago River, were vital routes to transport logs to lumber mills downstream. As a result, the Kennebago River and its tributaries show signs of boulder removal, channelizing, loss of structure, and the absence of significant wood inputs (trees naturally falling into the water).
RLHT, along with our partners, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, and Trout Unlimited (TU), added over three miles of strategic wood additions in 2024, and are now up to 6.2 miles to date. Wood additions or “chop & drops” are important to the ecosystem for a number of reasons. Why does wood in-stream matter?
🪵Provides complex structures for trout to hide
🪵Creates pool habitat
🪵Serves as the base of the food web for benthic macroinvertebrates
🪵Traps nutrients in the system (organic material)
🪵Restores floodplain connectivity by impounding water upstream of log jams
Our dedicated conservation biologist, Jason Latham, has been at the helm of our restoration efforts, leading with expertise and passion. We encourage you to explore the story map he created below, which details the project’s history, timeline, and key accomplishments.
