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Maine Dams Removal: Salmon Restoration vs. Mill Shutdown Risk

9/27/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The Nature Conservancy plans to remove four dams on Maine's Kennebec River to restore Atlantic salmon habitat.
The Shawmut Dam is among the four; its removal could lower water levels at Sappi North America’s Somerset Mill, risking shutdown.
The project would cost about $140 million over the next decade, balancing ecological goals with the mill’s needs.

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Story summary

The Nature Conservancy plans to remove four dams on Maine's Kennebec River to restore Atlantic salmon habitat.
The Shawmut Dam is among the four; its removal could lower water levels at Sappi North America’s Somerset Mill, risking shutdown.
The project would cost about $140 million over the next decade, balancing ecological goals with the mill’s needs.