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Clyde River Landlocked Salmon Restoration Salmon Transported Upstream of #1,2,3 Dam, 2007-2011
History It is unclear exactly what caused the demise of the fishery. A combination of many different factors is likely to blame. It is generally accepted that the “last straw” was the construction of the #11 diversion dam in 1957. The dam diverted water from nearly a mile of river, effectively blocking access to the salmon’s spawning grounds. While anecdotal evidence suggests that the fishery had already been significantly depleted by that time, the dam nonetheless became the scapegoat for the fishery's problems. The fishery was able to hang on through the following decades, thanks in large part to significant, albeit inconsistent, stocking efforts by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Then, in 1994, heavy spring runoff breached the #11 dam. Luckily, since this happened in the midst of federal relicensing of the facilities, repairs were halted and the dam was eventually ordered to be removed. This marked the first time that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had ordered the removal of a dam for environmental reasons against the wishes of the owner. As a condition of relicensing the Newport facilities, upstream and downstream fish passage facilities have been constructed at the #1,2,3 powerhouse and dam. For the first time in more than a century fish from Lake Memphremagog can access the stretch of river from Derby to West Charleston. The fishery has been slow to recover, but it is once again attracting anglers from throughout Vermont and beyond.
History of Dams on the Clyde early 1800s – mill dam constructed at Arnolds Falls
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