Penobscot River Restoration Trust

The Penobscot River Restoration Project is a collaboration between the Penobscot Indian Nation, seven conservations groups, hydropower company PPL corporation, and state and federal governments, to restore 11 species of sea run fish on the Penobscot River while balancing hydropower production. This extraordinary project has been completed and has helped restore the ecological integrity of the Penobscot River watershed and revitalize the rich history of the cultural traditions and economic opportunities in communities up and down the river. During 2010 the first part of the project was completed with the purchase from the PPL of the 3 dams encumbering the Penobscot: namely, Great Works, Veazie, and Howland Dams. In 2012 Great Works dam was removed from the river; in 2013 and 2014, the Veazie Dam was removed. In 2015, fish by-pass was constructed at the Howland dam site. In 2016, the Howland project was completed, and river quality monitoring continued. The board of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust will continue to operate, without staffing, until 2030 when various federal monitoring obligations will be met.