Fish Happenings
Preserving Alewives and History one stone at a time.
We need your help!
The restoration continues but funding for the project is very tight this year. We’ve made wonderful progress and the results have surpassed our hopes and expectations.
We invite you to sponsor a part of the fish ladder...
Sponsor a stone.....$25 (Stones are the basic building blocks of the fish ladder).
Sponsor a boulder.....$100 (Boulders are used at the bottom of pools for solid support).
Sponsor a wall.....$500 (Each pool of the fish ladder is made up of walls).
Sponsor a weir.....$1,000 (Fish pass from pool to pool over weirs).
Sponsor a pool.....$5,000 (Pools are where fish rest before moving up the ladder again).
To become a sponsor, please use our secure online donation page or mail a check to:
Nobleboro Historical Society
P.O. Box 122
Nobleboro, Maine 04555
All donations are tax-deductible.
Please note...to preserve the historic character of the fish ladder, sponsors will be recognized on the website and not on stones in the fish ladder.
Download: Click on the link to our "Sponsor a Stone" downloadable PDF.
Welcome to historic Damariscotta Mills, Maine – home of the state's oldest and most productive Alewife fishery. Help support the restoration efforts and sponsor a stone, boulder, wall, weir or pool. Restoration of the fish ladder is critical to the health of the Damariscotta River alewife stocks. Alewives are an important part of the food chain and they contribute to the health of the marine environment and to the lakes and streams where the fish spawn. In the spring, alewives are a critical source of fresh bait for local lobstermen who are setting out gear after a winter ashore. The Towns of Newcastle & Nobleboro have harvested alewives since the 1700s and, by balancing conservation and economic goals, they have carefully tended the Damariscotta River alewife stocks. Today, all funds received for harvested alewives are spent to maintain the fish ladder and harvesting area.