Fisheries management, Habitat restoration, Resilience and risk mitigation
Skutik-St. Croix Aquatic Connectivity Restoration

States

Maine

This project will help restore hundreds of miles of currently restricted habitats for river herring and other sea-run species on the international Skutik/St. Croix River watershed at the Milltown, Woodland, and Grand Falls dams. The current funded project will contribute to the construction of fishways at lower river dams at Woodland and Grand Falls, synergizing the removal of downstream Milltown Dam. This project has the potential to support tens of millions of adult river herring returns annually, resulting in the largest runs of river herring in the U.S. and Canada, while also contributing to improving the sustainability and economic viability of the local pulp, paper, and fishing industries.

Project Quick Facts:

  • Location: Maine
  • Federal Investments to Date: $57,000,000
  • Non-Federal Investments to Date: $1,000,000
  • Type of Barriers: Dams with outdated fishways
  • Number of Barriers: 2
  • Stream Miles Reopened: 600
  • Acres Restored: 68,000
  • Project Leads: Maine Department of Marine Resources, Passamaquoddy Tribes
  • Non-Federal Partners Include: The Nature Conservancy, Woodland Pulp LLC, Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik
  • Federal Agencies Invested to Date: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service

Removing Barriers to Success

The first dam on the river, Milltown Dam, was removed in 2023 and funding was secured for fishway construction at Woodland Dam. Additional funding is needed to complete the Grand Falls fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more about fish passage project. These projects will promote and enable future conservation actions in the watershed, including connectivity projects on upstream tributaries.

The Importance of Transformational Fish Passage Projects

This project is one of over 70 grand-scale, community-centric restoration projects, identified by the Federal Interagency Fish Passage Task Force, that not only rejuvenate ecosystems but also bolster the climate resilience and economies of communities across the country. Learn more about these ground breaking projects in our Reviving Rivers, Reconnecting Communities story map.

Large building by river with trees seen from above.
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The National Fish Passage Program: Leaders in Building Bridges and Fostering Connections

The National Fish Passage Program is a national leader connecting watersheds and people. The program has decades of experience implementing infrastructure projects with partners. Fish passage project proposals can be initiated by any individual, organization, government, or agency. However, proposals must be submitted and completed in cooperation with a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. (Please note that fish passage projects being used for federal or state compensatory mitigation or required by existing federal or state regulatory programs are not eligible for funding through the National Fish Passage Program.) 

CONTACT A FISH PASSAGE COORDINATOR IN YOUR AREA TO GET STARTED. 

200 Million Dollar Investment in Rivers, Wildlife, and Communities

Clean free-flowing waterways are vital to wildlife, people, and ecosystems. But across the country, millions of barriers fragment rivers, block fish migration, and put communities at higher risk to flooding. The  Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and economic competitiveness. We were directly appropriated $455 million over five years in BIL funds for programs related to the President’s America the Beautiful initiative.

Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  , signed in November 2021, included $200 million for restoring fish and wildlife passage by removing in-stream barriers and providing technical assistance under the National Fish Passage Program. 

Programs

Juvenile Northern Pike in aquarium at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, South Dakota
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation program leads aquatic conservation efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are committed to tackling the nation’s highest priority aquatic conservation and recreational challenges to conserve, restore, and enhance fisheries for future generations.
Program
Falls Church,VA
A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and...
Program