88 



KENDALL: NEW ENGLAND SALMONS. 



TABLE 17. 



Salmon Caichfor the State of Maine and Penobscot River and Bay for Various Years Between 1887 and 1929. 



Union River. — Once a productive salmon river, it has not yielded a single salmon 

 for over seventy years. Formidable dams at Ellsworth, within three miles of tide water, 

 effectually obstruct the ascent of fish. 



Narraguagus River. — Salmon were plentiful here 90 or 100 years ago and the river 

 afforded a productive salmon fishery. A few salmon even now appear at Cherryfield. 



Wescongus River. — Salmon formerly ascended the Wescongus which afforded a 

 hmited extent of breeding grounds in the main river and a small tributary. Forty or 

 50 years ago salmon were caught in dip nets at Columbia Falls and have occasionally 

 appeared there in recent years even as late as the spring of 1932. When Atkins (1874) 

 wrote it was estimated that the annual catch here was about 75 salmon. 



Machias River. — It is stated that in olden times saknon were extremely abundant in 

 this river. Something over 80 years ago, it is said, a fisherman with a dip net could 

 take 60 salmon in a day at the lower falls. As in other streams, dams have practically 

 effected extermination so far as that river is concerned, although a few appear at times 

 below the lower dam. 



East Machias River. — While in former times Machias River was regarded as the 

 better salmon river, at present and for a long time the East Machias is and has been 

 the better stream. Salmon are now and then taken, and apparently they breed to 

 some extent in Chace's Stream, the outlet of Gardner's Lake. Several salmon were 

 caught with a dip net at East Machias in the latter part of June, 1876 (B.S.H. 1876, 

 p. 319). 



Orange River. — It does not appear that salmon ever very numerously frequented 

 this stream, although before dams obstructed it, some entered it for breeding. 



Little Falls River. — Salmon ascended tliis small stream until recent years, and may 

 occasionally do so now. It affords good breeding places. 



Dennys River. — Atkins wrote that in its primitive state salmon abounded in this 

 river. In Notes from Dennysville, Robert T. Morris (1900, p. 69) under date of July 1, 



