Popular Science Magazine Names Edwards Dam Removal Project 'Best
of What's New for 1999'
Contact: Amy Souers of American Rivers, 202-347-7550;
Andy Goode of Atlantic Salmon Federation, 207-725-2833;
Laura Rose Day of Natural Resources
Council of Maine, 207-622-3101;
or Maggie Lockwood of Trout Unlimited, 703-284-9425
AUGUSTA, Maine, Nov. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Kennebec Coalition announced today that the decommissioning of Edwards Dam has received a 1999 Popular Science "Best of What's New" Award.
The dam's removal was completed in October and came as the result of a precedent-setting 1997 decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that found the environmental benefits of dam removal outweighed the economic benefits of re-licensing the dam.
"What's new and exciting about removing Edwards Dam is the use of modern engineering tools to unleash the natural power of rivers -- to restore fish spawning habitat, improve water quality, and boost ecosystem health," said Laura Rose Day of the Kennebec Coalition and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. "This award demonstrates that removing a dam at the end of the 20th Century can be as exciting and important for society as building a dam was 100 years ago."
"While the breaching of Edwards Dam was a pinnacle event in this story, the river's recovery is the real accomplishment," said Steve Brooke of American Rivers Maine Field Office and the Kennebec Coalition. "Over 10 species of migratory fish are expected to return to the newly accessible 17-mile stretch of river above the former dam site. The first of these made it in October -- this story is still unfolding."
The world's largest science and technology magazine, Popular Science has a circulation of more than 1.5 million and features its award winners in a special 26-page special editorial section of its December 1999 issue that hit newsstands over the weekend. This year marks the 12th anniversary of the awards program which annually recognizes 100 "Best of What's New" award recipients selected by the magazine's editors from thousands of new products, technology developments and scientific achievements. Past award winners include the Mars rover Sojourner; the world's first cloned mammal; Web TV; a super-efficient 70-mpg car; bicycles with electric assist for climbing hills; and software that takes diction as fast and accurately as a stenographer.
The Kennebec Coalition includes American Rivers, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and Trout Unlimited and its Kennebec Valley Chapter, and was formed in 1989 with the goal of removing the dam and restoring the river. The breaching of the dam on July 1 was witnessed by nearly a thousand onlookers and media from throughout the world who traveled to Augusta to see the event.
Over the last several months, the equivalent of about 7,000 dump truck loads of rock and gravel from the dam itself were used to fill a series of power canals, and to grade and stabilize the river's banks.
"The regulators, environmental groups and others who worked on this project displayed an incredible level of teamwork," said Andrew Straz, project manager for the E-Pro-Woodard & Curran consulting engineering team hired by the State of Maine to develop and oversee the project. "Everyone involved was committed to getting the job done, getting it done quickly and getting it done right."
With the removal of Edwards Dam completed in October, the longest stretch of spawning ground north of the Hudson has been reopened to sea-run fish. At least 10 migratory fish species including Atlantic Sturgeon, short-nosed sturgeon, American shad, Atlantic salmon, blueback herring, alewife and striped bass are expected to benefit from the newly accessible 17-mile stretch of river above the dam site.
Charles Gauvin, executive director of Trout Unlimited said, "Fifteen years ago, only a few disgruntled anglers thought it made sense to remove Edwards Dam. Their work has changed a lot of opinions. The removal of Edwards Dam will be remembered as a turning-point in the relationship between society and rivers."
In early October, striped bass were the first migratory fish to navigate the waters north of the former dam site. As fish populations rebound, other wildlife that depend on a healthy fishery -- cormorants, eagles, osprey, heron and kingfisher -- are also expected to benefit.
"Removing obsolete dams will become an increasingly important means of restoring fish habitat -- including the use of this process as a tool to recover endangered fish such as the Atlantic Salmon," said Andy Goode, U.S. director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation. "We're glad to have been part of the Edwards Dam project, which has helped show the world that dams are not permanent fixtures on the landscape."
Popular Science will present the "Best of What's New" award for the decommissioning of Edwards Dam to the Kennebec Coalition and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at an awards ceremony and luncheon Nov. 10 in New York City. Steve Brooke and Laura Rose Day from Maine will accept the award on behalf of the coalition and will also staff a special exhibit on the removal of the dam. The "Best of What's New" exhibition is seen by hundreds of VIP guests and press and has become a magnet for national media and members of the advertising and corporate communities.
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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
11/09 10:11
Copyright 1999, U.S. Newswire
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