*Volunteers Needed* West Branch Penobscot Watershed Monitoring

Brookfield has announced that it will be conducting a ramping study below McKay Station on the West Branch of the Penobscot, as ordered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This is located about 30 miles west of Millinocket, Maine. We need volunteers to monitor it on two dates (both are Wednesdays): July 17 and July 24.

TU volunteers monitored the stranding study Brookfield conducted in October of 2022. Our work here will be similar. For a better idea of what will be involved, please read our report at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SRs1NMSz-aeooJiIr6ZsRQraOreqdX0u/view?usp=drive_link

 If you are interested in helping, please contact Maine TU Council FERC Coordinator Steve Heinz heinz@maine.rr.com. Volunteers should have good mobility and plan to be in the parking lot of Big Eddy Campground by 1:00 p.m. on the date(s) you have chosen and expect to be in the field until 7:00 p.m. You will need to bring a camera or camera-phone, wade stick, and waders – felt sole or studded boots encouraged. If using a camera, a clipboard and pencil would be useful in completing the simple data sheet that will be supplied: time, location, brief description (fish, stonefly, other), photo #. Volunteers should carry medical insurance and sign a ‘hold harmless’ and use of photos release form to participate.

Big Eddy Campground had tent sites available for those wishing to spend the night following the event - https://www.webreserv.com/thechewonkifoundationme

Advance notice of who is volunteering is important so that volunteers can be organized to cover different parts of the study area. We are especially looking for a pair of volunteers willing to rock hop down through Big A Falls; normally pocket water, this area could contain significant numbers of stranded fish.