Dam operator says Penobscot River flows met federal requirements during outage
By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor
The operator of the McKay Station hydroelectric facility said water continued to flow into the West Branch of the Penobscot River during July 27’s turbine shutdown, meeting the minimum release requirements under its federal license.
The shutdown renewed criticism of Brookfield Renewable’s operations after a similar 2023 shutdown killed fish and aquatic life. Anglers, guides and conservation groups say the latest event again exposed fish to sudden dewatering, while a preliminary estimate suggests thousands of juvenile landlocked salmon may have died.
SHORELINE — Exposed shoreline lines the West Branch of the Penobscot River near Big Eddy after a turbine shutdown at McKay Station rapidly reduced river flows.
Great Lakes Hydro America said it notified the appropriate regulatory agencies and will file an initial report in the coming days reviewing the event, its duration, response actions and any potential environmental impacts.
“Great Lakes Hydro America recognizes the importance of the West Branch fishery and understands the concerns raised by guides, anglers, local residents and other stakeholders,” the company said in a statement.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is investigating how the shutdown occurred, how long it lasted, what the flows were during the shutdown, and what the impacts were to fish, according to regional fisheries biologist Jeff Bagley.
Great Lakes Hydro said it has invested nearly $3 million over the past decade through a long-term transmission line inspection, maintenance and rehabilitation program associated with McKay Station. Millions more are planned in the coming years to improve system reliability and reduce the likelihood of future outages, the company said.