SUN JOURNAL • July 29, 2023
At 7 p.m. on July 7, there was an unexplained shutdown of the McKay Hydroelectric Station below Ripogenus Dam. The event lasted over 4 hours and left the fabled West Branch of the Penobscot River and the popular Big Eddy salmon and trout fishery virtually dry for that period, according to Trout Unlimited. TU said that this resulted in “devastating impacts to fish and aquatic communities, harmed the river system, and impacted boating and recreational activities.” “Essentially, the entire West Branch 2023 salmon year class was eliminated,” said Ed Spear, retired fisheries biologist. “The timing of this disastrous outage could not be worse, as it occurred during the peak fish and aquatic growing season.” The federal licensing of McKay Station expires in September of 2026. ~ V. Paul Reynolds