other river between the Kennebec and the Penobscot, while 

 alewives were relatively less abundant. Impassable dams at 

 Alnaj at the head of tide^ have for raany years shut the migra- 

 tory fishes out from nearly its entire course. The main river 

 was exempted from the operation of the fish law by the act of 

 legislature of l800<, This exemption did not extend to Dyer's 

 River . 



At present, the fisheries of the Sheepscot are of little im- 

 portancej, the total value of the product being but $2,5^05 which 

 is about the ninth part of the Damariscotta. About 1,000 shad 

 were taken in traps arranged for them in the river near Alna, 

 One or two salmon are commonly taken in these shadnets, but none 

 in I88O0 No alewives of consequence are caught, there being no 

 fishing specially for them, and no summer weirs built. Bass, 

 smelt, and eels are the species taken for market." 



A 12-foot concrete dam at Headtide, just above Alna, obstructed the 

 passage of all fish until the spring of 19h9 when the sawmill at the dam 

 was completely destroyed by fire. Following this, the gates at the east 

 and west ends of the dam were removed, and, for a while, the river vjas 

 open to the passage of fish. The west gate was soon obstructed by debris 

 and the east gate became obstructed to a lesser extent. The dam owner has 

 been unusually uncooperative in keeping these gates free, as required by law| 

 the members of the county Fish and Game Association are not permitted to 

 clear the gates through their own efforts; and mill property on both sides 

 of the river is posted with no trespassing signs. 



There are dams at Whitefield, about five miles above Headtide, and 

 at Cooper's Mills, about l5 miles above Headtide. The dam at Whitefield 

 is in very bad condition and probably offers on serious obstruction to the 

 passage of shad, salmon, and alewives, both through the fishway in the west 

 end and through the old millrace. Because the dam diverts the flow of the 

 river toward the millrace, and because this is constricted, it is possible 

 that shad might have difficulty in negotiating this passage at time of high 

 water™ The dam at Cooper's Mills is impassable, although a fish ladder for 

 salmon was being built in the summer of 19^0. 



The river between Alna and Cooper's Mills is predominantly sand and 

 gravel bottom and offers suitable spawning areas both for the salmon and 

 shad. While the salinity at the town of Sheepscot, about five miles below 

 Alna is sufficiently high for the growth of such plants as Fucus vesiculosus , 

 the river at Alna is completely fresh. The lamprey, Petromyzon marinus , ~~ 

 spawns in the river, just above the bridge at Alna, "~~ " ~ 



The short stretch of fresh water (about one and onehalf miles) below the 

 dam at Headtide has maintained a small run of shad through the years. The 

 river was fished regularly by the late Rockwell Riddle, Alna, Maine, Mr„ 

 Baird, Maine Sea and Shore Fisheries Department, measured two fish caught by 



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