I. Introductions/Anti-Trust

Gary Donovan called the meeting to order at 9:45 A.M. and welcomed the 28 people in attendance to the 74th meeting of Project S.H.A.R.E. After the general introductions, Mr. Donovan read the Anti-Trust guidelines.

II. Past Minutes

Vice Chair Carl Burger accepted the minutes as presented.

III. Treasurers Report

Steven Koenig gave a summary of the Treasurers Report and funding initiatives. Vice Chair Burger accepted the report as presented.

IV. Watershed Council Report

Tracey Gamache (Pleasant/Narraguagus) reported that a group is attempting to raise funds to remove an abandoned building in Cherryfield. Once removed, DEP has funding to remove contaminated soil impacting the Narraguagus River.
Bill Cherry (Machias/E. Machias) reported on current activities including: monitoring the Machias easement and outreach.

Charlie Corliss (LURC) reported on two activities in the Dennys Watershed, a proposed subdivision and a construction debris disposal site.

V. Issues and Answers: 6 years after the Listing – What’s happening?

Joan Trial (ASC) Salmon Biology – What’s new and where are we going?

It requires 200 smolts/female to achieve population replacement. Currently there is 3% survival from fry to parr and 30% survival from parr to smolt. 62 smolts are being produced per female. We need to boost freshwater survival. Because we can not control the marine environment. If freshwater survival reached 8% we would see moderate improvements to the population.

Joan discussed impacts to yoy and parr, some of which may be improved with habitat restoration efforts: predation, embededness, LWD/complexity, connectivity, water temperature, pH, landuse.

Functioning communities and watershed process are keys to improving watershed productivity, including freshwater salmon production.

John Burrows (ASF)–Aquaculture and West Greenland

This is the final year of the Greenland Commercial Fisheries Agreement. ¾ of the Greenland commercial catch is from N. American origins.

Most of the changes undergone by the aquaculture industry have been in response to disease outbreaks, not the listing. Cooke Aquaculture is the only remaining producer in Maine. Production in 2005 was 1/3 that of 1999. Discharge permits are now required. DMR is looking more closely at the accumulative effects of pen sites. ASF has documented that US aquaculture practices have improved. Little or no progress has been made in Canada.

Matt Bernier (Kleinschmidt) – The Banks on the Narraguagus

Investigation of the reach between Deblois and Little Falls started out as a pilot study for stabilizing steep bank erosion. The thought was that sediment leads to embededness. The first question to answer was – is this erosion natural are anthropogenic? Second- is bank stabilization feasible?

Conclusions:

1. In this case, the underlying reason for bank instability is geological.
2. LWD is the primary influence in river morphology. Structure leads to stream complexity.
3. This section of the river has wide, shallow, uniform reaches.
4. Types and rates of bank erosion vary.
5. Restoration should focus on sediment transport and storage, not supply.
6. The recommended pilot project is LWD placement, not bank stabalization.

Nate Pennell (WCSWCD) – Surface water withdrawal.

The blueberry industry has made great progress in reduction of surface water withdrawal for irrigation. 50 entities are participating in the irrigation program. Numerous growers have water management plans in place with storage ponds and wells. Initially there were 42 known sites for surface water withdrawal. Cherryfield Foods is now out of the rivers. Wymans has one active site in the Narraguagus when flows allow removal. They will be out of the Pleasant by year end.

Work is underway to develop a program to prevent future new sites for water withdrawal. USDA has developed funding programs and technical assistance.

Aaron Corr (Parish Geomophic) –Stable Channel Demonstration Project

Sediment may be limiting salmon recovery and production. The data suggests:

1. the reach lacks diverse habitat
2. tends to be overwide and shallow
3. the main stem is aggrading
4. the sediment budget has changed
5. the critical velocity to move sediment is above bank full flow rates
6. this has led to a loss of salmon habitat
7. The main stem needs sediment over the long term to narrow. However, sediment will further degrade existing habitat.

Aaron described a proposed pilot project for the Narraguagus River at Rt 9. The objective is to return reach to more natural condition by placing LWD and boulders to add complexity and narrow the channel.

VI. Other Business

There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 11:55.

The next meeting is October 12, 2006 at the Hillgrove Community Center.

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