SOUTH BERWICK and ELIOT, Maine — Great Works Regional Land Trust (GWRLT) is pleased to announce the successful removal of the Shorey's Brook dam and restoration of Shorey's Brook on Raymond and Simone Savage Wildlife Preserve, the organization's property on Route 101 (Dover-Eliot Road) in Eliot and South Berwick.

Removal of the partially-breached, head-of-tide dam, and restoration of the stream channel has restored natural riverine functions to Shorey's Brook, resulting in reduced erosion and elimination of a major public safety hazard.

This Great Works' project also involves replacement of the failing Route 101 culvert upstream of the former dam location, scheduled for this summer by Maine's Department of Transportation. Together, dam removal and culvert replacement will open the Shorey's Brook watershed to anadromous fish while enhancing and creating new spawning habitat. Anadromous fish are species that migrate from salt water to fresh water to spawn.

"We're particularly targeting rainbow smelt, though the project may benefit other migrating fish species as well," said Darrell DeTour, project manager for the dam removal and stewardship coordinator for GWRLT. "We hope that by opening and improving its habitat, we will be doing our part to stabilize the rainbow smelt population."