Restoring Fish Passage at China Lake: A Case Study in Dam Removal and Fishway Installation
Over seven years, the China Lake Alewife Restoration Initiative restored access for migratory alewives to China Lake in central Maine. This collaborative project involved the removal of three dams and the construction of three technical fishways along the China Lake Outlet Stream.
In 2022, for the first time since the colonial era, native migratory alewives were able to swim freely from the ocean to China Lake to spawn, with 837,964 adult fish counted entering the lake. Their offspring successfully migrated downstream to the ocean, beginning a new generation. In 2023, fish counts increased to 1,943,733 adults entering the lake, and by 2024, a remarkable 3,282,720 adult alewives were recorded. These results demonstrate a rapid and robust restoration of fish passage and highlight the success of both dam removal and technical fishway installation efforts.
The project, awarded the 2024 Distinguished Project Award (read more) at the 15th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics and Fish Passage held in Quebec City, Canada, offers important lessons in fish passage restoration, engineering design, stakeholder collaboration, and ecosystem recovery. The project showcases the potential for resilience of aquatic systems and specifically river herring, a keystone species supporting freshwater and marine food webs in the Gulf of Maine.
The Maine Rivers Team from left to right: Landis Hudson, executive director; Matt Streeter, project manager; and Nate Gray of the Maine Department of Marine Resources. (photo by Eric W. Austin)
Join project partners from Maine Rivers Landis Hudson, Executive Director and Matt Streeter, project manager and Nate Gray of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (pictured above from left to right) to learn how this complex restoration effort was planned, executed, and monitored—and to hear about the latest project outcomes and management implications.
Topics will include:
- Technical approaches to dam removal and fishway construction
- Monitoring techniques for migratory fish passage restoration
- Stakeholder and community engagement strategies
- Lessons learned for future diadromous fish restoration projects
On the day of the webinar click on the link below and enter your meeting ID to join.
June 11, 2025
12PM Eastern / 9:00 AM Pacific Duration: 60 Minutes
Meeting ID: 941 5762 1522 / Passcode: 967662
Important Note: Registration is not required; however, participation is limited to 300. Please sign on early. Space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Direct questions to Andy Peters andy@riverconnectivitysystems.com
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The Joint Committee on Fisheries Engineering and Science is hosting this free webinar series as part of its mission to engage scientists and engineers on topics related to fish passage. Please feel free to share this with others who might be interested. The Committee consists of members of the American Fisheries Society Bioengineering Section (AFS-BES) and the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI). It was established in January 2011 to foster communication between the two groups, provide opportunities for engineers and biologists to share relevant knowledge and learn from one another, and collaborate on projects related to fish passage.
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