We are proud to announce the release of our latest short film telling the story of the recovery of sea-run fish populations in Maine. This film documents the impressive accomplishment on China Lake Outlet Stream in Vassalboro, Maine. We made this film for Maine Rivers, who spearheaded this restoration project which is well on its way to creating an annual spawning run of one million river herring every year in China Lake.
Like most streams and rivers in New England, Outlet Stream was dammed to power all sorts of mills in the late 18th and 19th centuries as the region became a manufacturing powerhouse. On the eight miles of Outlet Stream, 6 of those dams still remained into the 21st century, blocking fish from traveling between China Lake and the Kennebec River and ultimately the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean. 2022 was the first year since the end of the American Revolution that alewives could make the journey to China Lake.
Here’s the film: