Royal River Project

Overview

In January 2025, the Yarmouth Town Council passed a unanimous resolution in favor of pursuing the removal of the Bridge Street and Elm Street dams on the Royal River. This resolution was in response to decades of study, and the recommendations in a final report produced by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The hopes are that removing the dams and restoring the free-flowing river will support upstream migration of important anadromous fish like river herring and shad, helping to restore their populations in the watershed.

The town has secured funding for the removal of Bridge Street Dam through MNRCP, and is currently seeking funding for the removal of Elm Street Dam. Casco Bay Estuary Partnership is working with partners to provide guidance in the dam removal process and monitor the river to understand the effects of the removals.

Credit: Royal River Conservation Trust (Turtle Photo)

Monitoring The Royal River

CBEP is currently working with partners to study how removal of the Bridge Street Dam will effect the fish populations and water quality of the lower Royal River. Partners in this effort include the Royal River Alliance, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Friends of Casco Bay, USFWS Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, and Maine Department of Marine Resources. Through a series of meetings in early 2026, the partners developed a Monitoring Framework (SEE ATTACHED) around the following target questions.
  • Will dam removal facilitate upstream movement of anadromous fish?
  • Will water quality improve in the impoundments post-removal?
  • Will removal change estuarine water quality and nutrient loading in Casco Bay?
  • What are the patterns of juvenile fish outmigration timing and fish community composition in the estuary?
  • Can target fish species access the river past Middle Falls?
The monitoring efforts of CBEP and partners are currently focused on removal of the Bridge Street Dam, but will be expanded to include the Elm Street Dam if funding is found to remove it in the coming years. Results of monitoring efforts will be shared in a final report

Resources

The following links provide additional background reading and places to find the most up to date news on the dam removal process.