In 2014, Maine began developing a fish elevator to carry American shad past Milford Dam. 12 years later, the system could reopen 600 miles of river habitat to a fish whose migration has been blocked for decades

A Maine fish elevator could reopen 600 miles of river habitat for alewives, giving a small fish a much bigger chance to return upstream. The Woodland Dam project is designed to improve fish passage and reach nearly 60,000 acres of spawning grounds. It could also reshape the river’s food web, bringing more prey for wildlife. But the whales often mentioned in the story are still part of a future possibility, not a proven result.