MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • April 24, 2022
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the federal Clean Water Act, a remarkable success over these five decades, with its deep ties to Maine thanks to Sen. Edmund Muskie. As Maine is poised to receive over a billion dollars of federal funding to improve our infrastructure, it’s a great time to take stock of where we are. The Clean Water Act has been successful at stopping “point source” pollution from reaching our lakes and rivers. Less successful have been our actions relating to the biological integrity of our waters. Hundreds of obsolete dams harm fish by blocking their movement. Rivers without native fish species are not healthy. Maine should prioritize dam removals over dam repairs and technical fishways. ~ Landis Hudson, Maine Rivers