Maine will receive more than $35 million from the federal government to upgrade culverts that can block upstream fish passage for endangered species and funnel water after heavy downpours.
The Biden administration announced nearly $200 million in grants on Wednesday to 10 states and 14 tribal governments as part of the bipartisan infrastructure package that passed Congress two years ago. And Maine fared especially well in this first round of funding, receiving the third-largest allotment after Alaska and Washington state.
The Maine Department of Transportation will receive more than $27 million to replace or upgrade culverts in central, western and Downeast Maine while the Passamaquoddy Tribe will receive nearly $8 million for four projects in Washington County.
Maine DOT chief engineer Joyce Taylor said the funding will benefit both fish species and people because many of the culverts to be replaced are vulnerable to flooding or damage during larger storms. Taylor noted that two-thirds of Maine is designated as critical habitat for endangered species like Atlantic salmon, which return from the ocean to breed in rivers and streams.
"Well there's real barriers here at these culverts,” Taylor said. “And if you're going to get successful restoration of these species, opening up the water so they have more area to go to – more breeding ground to be able to access more water – is such a positive thing for this species."
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the grants to Maine will open up more than 115 miles of additional habitat for salmon, alewives, shad and other sea-run fish species. In many cases, narrow corrugated metal culvert tubes will be replaced with open-bottom archways or wider box culverts that better mimic natural conditions and help mitigate more heavy downpours associated with climate change. Taylor said some culverts will be replaced with bridges. The work will take place over several years.
“There have been some really positive, collaborative conversations going on because the natural resources agencies want this for the species and Maine DOT wants this for the hydraulics to make sure that we can pass some of these large, heavy storms that we have been seeing,” Taylor said.
The funding was part of the 2021 infrastructure law that passed Congress and was signed by President Biden in 2021.
“In communities across the country where people depend on fishing for their livelihoods, culverts are vital infrastructure for ensuring fish passage,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Through this investment, we are repairing or removing hundreds of culverts nationwide, protecting jobs, mitigating the risk of flooding, and strengthening local economies.”
