Fish Commission
Department

The Town of Woolwich has a 5 member fish commission that is authorized by the town and Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to manage the alewife privileges at the Nequasset dam. One commissioner is selected yearly for a five year term. We are soliciting applicants from the town who are interested in filling that position. The final selection for this position will be voted on at the annual town meeting in May.

The Commission’s primary responsibility is to facilitate the yearly alewife migration at Nequasset and to harvest alewives as allowed by DMR. Annual commission duties include: submittal of a Nequasset management plan to DMR, selection of a contractor to run the facility during the migration, establishing the amount the contractor will pay the town, and directing any facilities maintenance using dedicated funds from the harvest. The Commission is also supporting the Bath Water District’s plans to replace the deteriorating fish ladder over the dam later this year.

Recently many Woolwich citizens have been counting alewives at the Nequasset dam in an effort to better document the migration into the lake. This participation has demonstrated the level of interest in a local event that has been part of Woolwich since before the earliest settlers.

If you are interested in becoming a fish commissioner or for more information contact Bill Potter.