Frequently Asked Questions

Many local roads currently experience dangerous seasonal flooding, which is expected to continue to increase in frequency and severity. Replacing culverts and raising roads will provide needed upgrades to infrastructure at no or reduced cost to the towns. Building larger structures scaled for freshwater flooding and tides will make local roads more durable and able to last longer, saving thousands of dollars per year in future maintenance and repairs.

Salt marsh restoration aims to restore the overall function of the degraded wetland. Typically, this involves filling ditches and leveling berms to improve regular drainage. Pools and wet meadows form when low spots in the marsh surface fill with water but cannot drain, changing the plant communities and providing homes for biting insects. Addressing inadequate drainage would be the primary goal of any restoration actions in the West Branch.

Healthy tidal marshes are the first line of defense against mitigating coastal erosion and storm surge flooding. The wide, rough area of the marsh slows down water flowing upstream with the tide or downstream with the river. The marsh also acts as a giant sponge, absorbing thousands of gallons of flood water, slowly releasing it over time back into the river. Restored marshes also improve water and habitat quality, which has the potential to benefit commercially important species of shellfish, marine worms, and sea-run fish (e.g., smelt and salter brook trout), and other wildlife (deer, waterfowl, mink, etc.).  In turn, there is potential to see improved conditions for local fishermen, hunters, and worm harvesters. Finally, the towns would also benefit from increased outdoor recreational opportunities like bird-watching and greater boating access to conserved lands like Drisko Marsh.

The West Branch is a suitable candidate for marsh restoration. An analysis performed in 2006 showed that the mineral soils that make up most of the West Branch are fully capable of supporting salt marsh vegetation. Areas of salt marsh peat and brackish plant species still exist as a reminder that the marsh was tidal until 85 years ago. This study also observed that tidal restriction had not resulted in severe marsh substrate decomposition. This was confirmed in the 2025 Existing Conditions report by Inter-Fluve, Inc., which found that subsidence (decay and compression of salt marsh soils) in the restricted marsh is low to moderate and estimated at 0.5 to 1.5 feet, with isolated areas of increased subsidence throughout.

No decisions have been made regarding Ridge Rd and the clapper gates at this time. The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) owns and maintains the Ridge Rd bridge and the clapper gates that sit underneath. MaineDOT is primarily concerned about maintaining roadway structures and improving public safety. This will eventually include replacing the deteriorating Ridge Rd bridge. This process will, like with all of MaineDOT's projects, include ample opportunity for public comment.

At a 2010 town meeting, a majority of community members present voted to keep the tide gates in place. In the intervening 15 years the clapper gates have deteriorated further and will require attention in the next decade. The Army Corps of Engineers completed a feasibility study in 2019 on behalf of MaineDOT that developed options for addressing the clapper gates, Ridge Rd, and the other five upstream crossings that would be affected by any future changes at Ridge Rd.

The data Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF) and its contractors have collected since 2022 will help develop design alternatives for all road crossings in the project area. The ongoing studies and outreach efforts are an important part of deciding what changes will be made to the tide gates (if any) when designs for the bridge replacement are being prepared.

Improving upstream crossings, some of which are over 50 years old, is essential to accommodate increased water flow to and from the marsh. However, it is important to note that improvements to upstream crossings are not contingent on the tide gates being removed, and will be addressed as a matter of public safety and wellbeing.

Project funding comes from several sources, both public (state & federal) and private:

1. DSF was awarded a $1.77 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in 2022 to oversee feasibility studies that will help inform marsh restoration design alternatives for the West Branch. This grant also funds a literature review and study to understand the unique aspects of Downeast Maine marshes, restoration design work being done at the Schoppee Marsh in Machias, and staff time. This grant runs through December 2026.
2. The Maine Coastal Program (MCP) was awarded a $1.7 million NOAA Coastal Zone Management (CZM) grant in 2023 through the Office for Coastal Management (OCM). These funds were contracted to DSF to create a community outreach plan, assess domestic wells and septic systems, and produce preliminary designs for road crossings. The Nature Conservancy in Maine (TNC) is also contributing match funds to this grant, which runs through March 2027.
3. In 2024, the Maine Department of Marine Resources was awarded $9.1 million through NOAA under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund the Bell’s Brook crossing replacement and well and septic mitigation. However, the current administration terminated this grant in April 2025. State and Federal partners are currently looking at ways to replace the lost funding and continue moving the project forward.
4. MaineDOT may use some of their own funding to perform preliminary engineering on road crossings in the project area, including Addison Rd/Bells Brook.
5. In 2024 the State of Maine was awarded funding through NOAA’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant, a planning grant with roughly $400,000 available for community engagement and domestic infrastructure evaluation in the project area.
6. Two additional federal grants are currently being reviewed that would fund replacement of the Point Street and Water Street culverts, and modifications to any associated municipal infrastructure.
7. Generous private donors have provided additional funding to DSF for this project. These funds have helped advance many different project elements, including the production of this website.

The West Branch Project is as much about infrastructure as it is about habitat restoration. We are approaching the project broadly, knowing that no one site or feature is independent of others.

• Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF), through a contract with Inter-Fluve, Inc., has worked to update environmental studies of the West Branch that are necessary for designing upgraded road crossings. The information collected in this study has been published and is available to view or download from the resource library.
• The termination of the NOAA grant to DMR to fund MaineDOT’s replacement of the Addison Road crossing has required a reevaluation of construction funding alternatives. The State of Maine filed a lawsuit against NOAA in 2025 in an effort to reinstate the funds, and we anticipate MaineDOT will decide how to move forward in 2026 while the lawsuit is pending.
• DSF has signed a contract with a hydrological and environmental consulting firm (C. A. White & Associates, LLC) to investigate potential impacts from tidal reintroduction to area wells, septic systems, and the Addison Point Water District (APWD). This investigation will also evaluate mitigation alternatives for any potential impacts.
• DSF, Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), and Downeast Coastal Conservancy (DCC) are identifying areas where it will be a high priority to employ marsh restoration techniques if the tide is returned and will connect with landowners who have wetlands that would benefit from restoration actions.

It is projected that land bordering the marsh basin will see anywhere from a few inches to a couple feet of additional water height at high tide if the full tide returns. The amount depends largely on the individual parcel. This means dozens to hundreds of square feet of land could be inundated at each high tide. Inter-Fluve, Inc. identified which parcels would be affected, and DSF will work directly with individual landowners to identify where and how much land may be affected. DSF will lead one-on-one discussions regarding suitable compensation to achieve maximum benefit for both landowners and marsh restoration goals.

Some landowners may also experience impacts to their drinking water well and/or septic system if the clapper gates are removed or made more transparent to the tide. Newly collected data from 2023 and 2024 indicate that some amount of salt water currently leaks through the tide gates, which matches first-hand accounts that salt has shown up in a handful of local wells. This implies there would be further impacts to wells and septic systems with full tidal reintroduction. An upcoming study of wells, septic systems, and the APWD will provide new data to inform next steps. DSF will approach landowners whose wells and septic systems are expected to be affected to discuss remediation options, which may include transition to municipal services where available.

The motivation behind this project is simple: help prepare coastal communities like Addison and Columbia for the future by improving features that will better withstand rising seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding. This project is not an “in lieu” compensation for construction projects in southern Maine. “In lieu” programs are designed for developers to pay for habitat they’ve destroyed or damaged; this money then funds conservation projects elsewhere. This is not the case for the West Branch.