Maine wildlife officials want a subsidiary of energy giant Brookfield Renewable to pay $120,000 to compensate for multiple mass fish strandings caused by equipment malfunctions at the Ripogenus Dam.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) proposed these payments to address the loss of hundreds of landlocked salmon and brook trout. According to a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the department calculated the costs of the dead fish and the loss of future recreational value at $40,000 for each of the three stranding events.
The incidents, which occurred in 2023, 2025, and 2026, took place at the dam located on the west branch of the Penobscot River near Baxter State Park. The facility is owned by Great Lakes Hydro America, an affiliate of Brookfield.
“I wouldn’t characterize this as a warning, we have a responsibility to the resources so what this is attempting to do, is make this whole again,” said James Bruce, deputy director of the fisheries and hatcheries division at MDIFW.
The Ripogenus Dam utilizes automatic protective systems designed to shut down generators in the event of an electrical or mechanical fault. When these systems trigger, the dam defaults to a minimum-flow level that is often significantly lower than the volume of water flowing through the dam immediately before the malfunction. These sudden reductions in water levels can expose shallow areas downstream, leaving fish stranded.
The causes of the three specific events varied. A lightning strike triggered a “trip event” in 2023, but the two subsequent strandings were the result of failing transmission line crossarms, MDIFW stated. To prevent future occurrences, the department is also calling for Brookfield to install a river gauge to provide better data on river flows and to accelerate the replacement of electrical infrastructure.
| Year of Incident | Primary Cause | Estimated Cost per Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Lightning strike | $40,000 |
| 2025 | Failing transmission line crossarms | $40,000 |
| 2026 | Failing transmission line crossarms | $40,000 |
The proposed mitigation payments must now be reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency responsible for approving such settlements.
“We are continuing to review MDIFW’s recent filing and the department’s other recommendations and intend to respond directly in the FERC docket,” said David Heidrich, a spokesperson for Brookfield.
The outcome of the filing will determine whether the $120,000 will be used to support fisheries restoration and improvement in the region.
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