BDN: Ellsworth residents imagine life without downtown dam as relicensing drags on
March 26, 2026
Photo: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN
Excerpt from Bangor Daily News (March 11, 2026):
“The recreational asset that would emerge from this is really substantial. Given the number of tourists that come seeking nature, a kayaking-canoeing asset in Ellsworth would be very attractive because we’re talking about a rapid here,” Shaw said. “Kayakers and canoeists could be attracted to stay and play in Ellsworth, and that’s a very big industry in a lot of places.”
A river-related boost in tourism could create more than 44 jobs in Hancock County, generating as much as $166 million in new economic activity and an additional $87 million in commercial fisheries over the next 50 years, according to the study.
“The value of the commercial alewife harvest and value of the elver harvest are substantial,” Shaw said. “We know that the alewife numbers will increase as a result of dam removal and fish passage at Graham Lake, so we would expect new revenue there.”