PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 25, 2020
Nov. 25, 1997: For the first time, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission orders the dismantling of a working hydroelectric facility – in this case, the Edwards Dam in Augusta – over the objection of its owner. The commissioners also tell the company to work with the federal Interior and Commerce departments in determining how to carry out the order, which is meant to restore unimpeded access to the lower Kennebec River and its tributaries by migrating fish. Proponents of the decision include the state and a coalition consisting of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, American Rivers, Trout Unlimited and the Atlantic Salmon Federation. The Edwards Dam is demolished in 1999.